ISLAMABAD – Taliban negotiators and US officials meeting in Qatar havefinalized clauses in a draft agreement to end the 17-year-old Afghan war.
Details provided by the sources to Reuters include apparent concessionsfrom both sides, with foreign forces to be withdrawn from the country in 18months from the future signing of the deal, PTV has reported.
The sources and a diplomat said, U.S. Special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzadis heading to Afghan capital Kabul to brief President Ashraf Ghani afterthe end of the six-day talks.
It is unclear whether a joint statement will be issued, or whether theprovisions have been fully accepted by the U.S. Side.
U.S. Embassy officials in Kabul were not available to comment.
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According to the Taliban sources, the group offered assurances thatAfghanistan will not be allowed to be used by Al-Qaeda and Islamic Statemilitants to attack the United States and its allies – a key early demandof Washington.
The Taliban says that they will finalize a timeline for a ceasefire inAfghanistan but will only open talks with Afghan representatives once theceasefire is implemented.
The Taliban sources said, other clauses include a deal over the exchangeand release of prisoners from the warring sides, the removal of aninternational travel ban on several Taliban leaders by the United Statesand the prospect of an interim Afghan government after the ceasefire isstruck.
