Taliban delegation is in Pakistan for peace talks
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that there is no military solution to the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan, and all stakeholders must agree on a ceasefire.
He said this in a meeting with a Taliban delegation, a statement said Friday. The delegation arrived in Islamabad on December 16 for peace talks, and today is its last day in Pakistan.
The prime minister said that the talks being led by Afghan leaders will ensure durable peace. He said that peace and stability in the country will contribute to economic growth in the region.
The statement said that Pakistan will continue to support the broad-based consultations for a political deal.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Wednesday that Pakistan played a reconciliatory role in the agreement between the Afghan Taliban and the US in Doha in February. He said that an agreement on the rules for the talks is a welcome development.
Qureshi in a press briefing said that Pakistan has shared its views with the delegation for a “peaceful and stable Afghanistan”. He said that the next phase of talks will start on January 5.
Talks between Taliban, Afghan government
The talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are part of a peace agreement signed between the US and the insurgent group in February this year. Under the agreement, the US will pull out its troops from Afghanistan within 14 months.
The negotiations were to be held after the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters under the agreement between the insurgent group and the US. However, Kabul by August had released around 4,000 Taliban prisoners and there is a deadlock on the release of the remaining ‘hardcore’ militants.
