WASHINGTON : Taliban political officials say they have submitted a reportto their top leadership after concluding interactions with officials inPakistan and representatives from other nations, including China and Qatar,on finding a solution to the Afghan war.
The announcement has rekindled hope an Afghan peace process could take rootbefore this year’s summer fighting.
In a Pashto-language statement circulated to media, the Islamist insurgencyconfirmed for the first time that a five-member delegation from theTaliban’s Qatar-based Political Office recently travelled to Islamabad andheld talks with officials there.
It said the visit was undertaken after the Pakistan government offered tohelp find a political solution to the Afghan conflict and exchange viewswith the Taliban. Both sides shared and listened to each other’s views onhow to promote a peaceful settlement to the war, according to the Talibanstatement.
With the cooperation of Pakistan, it said, the Taliban delegation later metwith officials from China, Qatar and other nations to discuss ways to endthe conflict in Afghanistan.
“We have submitted our report to our leadership based on our discussionsand will take further steps after receiving instructions from them,” thestatement added.
Officials in Pakistan have not yet commented, nor have they confirmedreceiving Taliban officials. According to VOA, Diplomatic sources haveconfirmed the Taliban delegation visited Pakistan earlier this month.
A Taliban official has also confirmed to VOA that several members from theQatar office travelled to Pakistan, but insisted they only met with theirfamily members and held consultations with elders of the Afghan refugeecommunity in the country.
The insurgent delegation consisted of Jan Muhammad Madnai, Maulvi ShahabudDin Dilawar, Syed Rasool Haleem, Muhammad Suhail Shaheen and Qari DeenMuhammad.
“The Islamic Emirate wants to emphasize that it desires a durable solutionto the Afghan issue but needs the root causes to be addressed first so thatour people would be able to live peacefully,” the Taliban reiterated in thestatement.
The Taliban visited Pakistan at a time when the country is under pressurefrom the United States to stop sheltering insurgent leaders, includingthose of the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network of terrorists.
Islamabad denies it is allowing the militants to use Pakistani soil forcross-border attacks.
After visiting Afghanistan as part of the United Nations Security Councildelegation this month, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haleysaid Trump’s new strategy was working.
“They [the Afghan government] are starting to see the Taliban concede, theyare starting to see them move towards coming to the table,” Haley said.
Orignally published by INP