News / Afghanistan

Pakistan to host 4-way talks on Afghan peace process

Saturday, 09 January 2016 11:21 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 09 January 2016 1:24 PM ]

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmad Shekib Mostaghni ©Khaama Press

Representatives of four counties are set to hold negotiations in the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad in a bid to resuscitate a stalled reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmad Shekib Mostaghni said on Saturday that the envoys from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States will meet on Monday to discuss a “roadmap for peace talks” in Afghanistan.

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai will lead Kabul’s delegation to the one-day Islamabad meeting, Mostaghni added.

The talks were agreed upon during Pakistani Army Chief General Raheel Sharif’s visit to Afghanistan in December last year.

The Taliban militant group, which has been operating in both Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, will not be present at Monday’s meeting.

Taliban militants (R), who were arrested by Afghan border police, stand during a presentation of seized weapons and equipment to the media in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, December 29, 2015. ©Reuters

Pakistan hosted a first round of peace talks between Taliban and Afghan leaders in July. The discussions, however, were halted after the militants belatedly announced the death of their longtime leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.

There have also been growing differences among Taliban elements over peace talks with the Afghan government, with some vowing to fight for power instead of taking part in negotiations.

Senior Afghan officials frequently blame elements inside the Pakistani spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), for harboring Taliban and sponsoring the militancy, while Islamabad accuses Kabul of giving shelter to the militants.

Afghanistan is gripped by violence and insecurity years after the United States and its allies invaded the country in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. Although the offensive overthrew Taliban, militants are still continuing their deadly attacks across the Asian state.

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