link>KABUL- The Taliban supreme leader Mullah Hebatullah has reportedly approved thevisit of a Taliban delegation to Islamabad for preliminary talks onexploring ways to revive peace talks.

Sources privy of the development within the Taliban ranks have told Reutersthat supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada had approved Monday’sexploratory meeting in Islamabad on restarting talks to end the war thatkills thousands of Afghans each year.

It is yet not clear if the talks had any outcome or not but Monday’s visitby Taliban delegation to Islamabad followed an unofficial meeting organizedin Turkey.

The Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid had earlier rejected theparticipation of the group’s representatives in the unofficial talks thattook place in Turkey.

“This is an intelligence game that aims at defaming and damaging the realpeace process in Afghanistan,” he had said in a statement.

A Presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi had also said that theindividuals who have participated in the talks with the Taliban members inTurkey are not representing the government of Afghanistan.

An Afghan official Humayoun Jarir who represents the Afghan high peacecouncil in the meeting said informal talks are underway with the Talibangroup under an initiative of the government of Turkey to startreconciliation process.

He expressed optimisms regarding the launch of the informal talks and saidthe Taliban group also supports intra-Afghan talks in a bid to end theongoing violence in the country.