*KARACHI: *As both sides have brought new demands to closed-door meetings,the US and the Taliban are struggling to find ways to resume peace talks toend the war in Afghanistan, say both officials and local analysts.
A 12-member delegation of the Afghan Taliban political office in Dohaarrived in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Wednesday at the invitation ofthe government, the first-ever visit of a Taliban delegation there sincethe insurgents established their political office in Qatar in 2013.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the special US envoy for Afghan reconciliation, alongwith his team had already arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday before theTaliban delegation.
A senior Pakistani foreign ministry official confirmed “at least onemeeting” between Khalilzad and the Taliban delegation led by the militia’sdeputy chief, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, “to discuss different ways toresume the talks.”
“The two sides haven’t reached any decision. The deadlock is still there,but both [sides] have vowed to break the deadlock,” the official told *AnadoluAgency *but declined to be identified as he was not authorised to publiclyspeak on the matter.
“Another meeting is expected in a day or two after both sides completetheir homework on different formulas discussed in the first meeting,” headded.
The two sides, he asserted, had come up with new demands, with Washingtondemanding a “total” ceasefire in the war-wracked country, and inclusion ofthe fragile Kabul government in the peace process — both conditions theTaliban has time and again rejected.
The Taliban, for their part, the official said, had sought a “guaranteefrom the highest level” in Washington on implementation of the talks’outcome.
“The Taliban have refused to accept the two US demands, and want theprocess to be resumed from right where it broke off. Washington wants afresh start, particularly with respect to its two demands.”
On September 9, US President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled a meeting withrepresentatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban at the US CampDavid retreat.
Trump declared the peace talks with the Taliban “dead” following a recentattack in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul which killed a dozen people,including a US service member.
Following the US move, the Taliban opened new battlefronts across thewar-torn nation, as Afghan security forces — suffering casualties anddesertions — struggle to beat back a revitalised insurgency.
*Bright chances*
Meeting last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York,Prime Minister Imran Khan asked Trump to resume peace talks with theTaliban.
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Rahimullah Yusufzai, a Peshawar-based expert on Afghan affairs, sees“bright” chances for the resumption of the process despite the rigidstances of both Washington and the Taliban.
“Both sides are testing each other’s nerves. But ultimately, they willagree on resumption of talks as they have realised the fact that there isno other solution,” Yusufzai told *Anadolu Agency*.
Washington, according to him, is more “rigid” and wants “something extra”from the Taliban to justify resuming the talks.
Echoing the Pakistani official’s words about fresh US demands, Yusufzaisaid, “There’s more pressure on Washington this time as it has to justifyits readiness to revive the broken-off process not only before its ownpeople but the whole world, including Kabul.”
According to him, the two sides will reach an agreement under which theTaliban will “significantly” reduce its attacks on Afghan and foreignforces, and in return, the US will halt its airstrikes against the militia.
“The Taliban, too, have realised that they could get more through talksthan through the war. Therefore, I believe, they will agree to give somemore concessions to Washington,” he said.
“Pakistan will also push the Taliban for that,” added.
Lieutenant General (retired) Talat Masood, an Islamabad-based securityanalyst, voiced a similar view.
“Eventually the talks will resume. It’s just a matter of time,” Masoodtold *AnadoluAgency*.
“Otherwise, the US will remain entangled in Afghanistan, which it does notwant to.”
He said Washington wanted to put more pressure on the Taliban throughbreaking off the process as it had realised the militia’s “keenness” to endthe war.
“I believe that the Taliban have to bow to the US demands, particularly theceasefire, to an extent, otherwise the US won’t agree to resume the peaceprocess,” he said. – Anadolu Agency
