ISLAMABAD – United States and Afghan Taliban crucial endgame talks begin inQatar.

The seventh round of the talks between the US and Taliban negotiatorskicked off on Saturday amid high expectations of reaching a conclusion onone of the four key issues under debate which could facilitate intra-Afghantalks and could move the process forward.

Analysts familiar with the talks said the two sides will focus ondiscussing a timetable for withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistanduring the first day of the talks.

The US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who leads the talks from theAmerican side, has been relentless in his pursuit of an intra-Afghandialogue after an earlier planned meeting between the government and theTaliban in Doha was scuttled when both sides disagreed on participants.

In the previous round of the talks in May, the two sides focused on thewithdrawal of US troops and Taliban guarantees to prevent Afghanistan fromagain hosting militants who can stage global attacks.

Still, both Khalilzad and Pompeo have said that agreements with the Talibanwill come hand in hand with agreements on an intra-Afghan dialogue and apermanent ceasefire.

Last month, Khalilzad said the sixth round of the talks with the Talibanhad “slow but steady” progress. But Afghan analysts say that this time,there should be a breakthrough on a major issue – the withdrawal of foreignforces from Afghanistan – which has been a major point of focus for theTaliban.