ISLAMABAD – Afghan Taliban’s hard line statement of withdrawing from peacetalks coincided with the arrival of the US Special Representative forAfghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, from his third multi-nationtrip on Afghan peace in Kabul, where he briefed senior Afghan officialsabout his discussions with regional countries aimed at seeking regionalsupport for ending the 17-long conflict in the war-ravaged country.
“In the meeting which took place last night, Dr Zalmay Khalilzad gave abriefing about his trip to the regional countries including India, Chinaand United Arab Emirates. He described his trip to the region to createregional consensus about the start of the peace process,” said Samim Arif,deputy spokesman to President Ashraf Ghani.
Political analysts meanwhile viewed Taliban’s fresh conditions and pressurefrom different angles.
“The Taliban in that meeting (Abu Dhabi meeting which took place inDecember) had said that they will hold consultations with their leadersthat no threat will be posed from Afghanistan against other countries.Khalilzad also said that he will hold consultations with the Americans andwill seek their (US) agreement about their withdrawal from Afghanistan. Butat the Abu Dhabi meeting they (US) raised the issue of a six months’ truceand changed the agenda of the meeting,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, leader of Leader of Jaish-al Muslimeen faction of the Taliban.
“Khalilzad was expected to visit Pakistan and the Taliban were supposed tomeet Khalilzad under Pakistani pressure, but the Taliban rejected it,” saidpolitical analyst, Nazar Mohammad Mutmaeen.
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Close aides to the Taliban have said that the detention of Hafez Mohibullahin the Pakistani city of Peshwar was also an attempt to put pressure on theTaliban amid the peace talks.
Mohibullah served as religious affairs minister when the Taliban wereruling Afghanistan before 2001. But there was no immediate response fromauthorities in Pakistan about the detention.
