KABUL – Afghan authorities lambasted the Taliban Wednesday for failing toactively participate in peace talks seeking to end the country’slong-running war.

Following months of deliberations and a first round that failed to achieveany major breakthrough, the Afghan government and Taliban are meeting againin Qatar — but so far only discussing the agenda for round two.

“Unfortunately, the talks are going at a snail’s pace,” Waheed Omar, mediaadviser to President Ashraf Ghani told reporters.

“The Taliban have no clear vision. We see no changes in them.”

Kabul is pushing for a permanent ceasefire and to protect governancearrangements in place since the ouster of the Taliban by a US-led invasionfollowing the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

But since the second round of talks began on January 6 in Doha there hasbeen no significant announcement about how negotiations were proceeding.

The talks have been marred by a surge in violence, with a recent spate ofhigh-profile killings of officials, judges, journalists and activistsleaving the war-weary country reeling.

Omar said there was no plan to release more Taliban prisoners to help spurthe talks along, saying the government’s previous experience of releasinginsurgents failed to reduce fighting.

“The Taliban not only did not reduce the violence, but they increased theviolence,” Omar said.

Before the start of the peace talks on September 12, authorities releasedmore than 5,000 Taliban inmates as demanded by the group in a deal withWashington last year.

In return, the Taliban agreed to give some security guarantees andparticipate in peace talks aimed at ending the country’s war.

Under the landmark deal signed last year, the US pledged to pull out allforeign forces from Afghanistan by May 2021.

Both the Taliban and the Afghan government are anxiously awaitingPresident-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration and any new policy directions fromthe incoming administration. -APP/AFP