Pakistan has launched efforts to revive the Afghan peace process and invited Taliban political representatives for talks, weeks after US President Donald Trump abruptly called off negotiations with the Taliban.
Trump cited a Taliban-claimed attack in Afghan capital Kabul that had killed an American soldier and 10 other people.
The Foreign Office said on Wednesday that Pakistan has extended an invitation to Taliban Political Commission (TPC) in Doha for a visit and a Taliban delegation was scheduled to visit Islamabad.
The statement did not mention when the delegation would start the visit and two Taliban officials confirmed to Daily Times a 12-member delegation would reach Islamabad today (Thursday).
Sources said the Taliban delegation was scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office in the morning, which would be the Taliban’s first meeting.
“The visit would provide the opportunity to review the progress made under US-Taliban peace talks so far, and discuss the possibilities of resuming the paused political settlement process in Afghanistan,” the Foreign Office said.
An official source told Daily Times that a meeting of the Taliban representatives was being scheduled with Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen earlier confirmed the visit to Pakistan in one of his tweets.
The spokesman said the Taliban deputy chief on political affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, would lead a 12-member high-level delegation on Pakistan’s official invitation.
“The delegation will discuss important issues with Pakistani officials,” Shaheen wrote in a tweet.
Taliban political representatives earlier visited Russia, Iran and China following Donald Trump’s abrupt cancellation of peace process with the Taliban in Qatar.
Pakistan had invited the Taliban political representatives in Qatar to visit the country for talks on the peace process in Afghanistan, an official had earlier said.
He said Pakistan would urge the Taliban to “reduce violence for resumption of the peace talks and also to start intra-Afghan dialogue”.
Trump had called off peace talks with the Taliban in early September when both sides had finalised a draft of the peace agreement. He had also cancelled a meeting with the Taliban at Camp David, citing a Taliban-claimed attack in Kabul.
Taliban’s visit to Pakistan has long been due and the Pakistani prime minister had announced on July 22 in Washington that he would meet the Taliban political leaders on his return to open talks with the Afghan government.
Taliban have so far refused to sit face-to-face with the Kabul administration on the plea that they do not consider the Afghan government as a party to the conflict.
The visit was delayed as Taliban and the US were in the process of finalising a peace agreement in the ninth round of talks in August.
Shaheen said last month the Taliban may also visit other countries to explain their position about the situation emerged after Trump’s abrupt cancellation of the peace talks. He said regional countries are also astonished at the cancellation of the negotiations as the decision has blocked peace efforts.
Taliban delegation arrives in Pakistan at a time when the US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has already arrived in Pakistan for talks with officials on the country’s role in peace process.
There is no official word from the US and Pakistan if the US envoy will meet the Taliban. However, there is possibility that Pakistan facilitates their meeting in Islamabad.
Khalilzad met Prime Minister Imran Khan in New York on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly session and discussed option for the peace process. The prime minister had called for the revival of the peace process. The US special envoy had also met officials of other stakeholders.
Shaheen says the Taliban and the US had finalised draft of the peace deal and the draft was handed over to the Qatari government for its formal announcement that would be followed by intra-Afghan dialogue. However, Trump’s cancellation of the peace process dashed hopes for signing of the agreement.
A Taliban official said Pakistan has conveyed to the Taliban political office that it can help in the resumption of the dialogue if the Taliban show some flexibility and to reduce violence.
“Pakistani officials have sent messages to the Taliban officials in Qatar that they would also suggest to the US to soften its stance,” he said.
The Taliban have not yet responded to Pakistan’s request but there are some signals from the US side that the peace process could be resumed. Pakistan has played the role of a facilitator in the Taliban-US talks started in October last year. Baradar was freed last year on request by Khalilzad.
