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KABUL: The High Peace Council urges that negotiations over peace process need more accuracy than a speedy result, a statement comes ahead of the fifth round of talks between the US diplomats and Taliban negotiators planned to be held on February 25th in Qatar. The militants called off another meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan in Islamabad.
Ata Rahman Salim, deputy head of the council, hopes the Doha negotiations end with positive results.
“Taliban need to pay attention to the realities in Afghanistan and based on that hold talks with the government. I think it is not important if the talks take more time, what is important is that the negotiations be run with accuracy,” Salim said Monday.
Taliban refuse to sit with the government delegation, underrating it as the US ‘puppet”.
He added that the US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met the council leadership, expressing hope for a positive result of the upcoming negotiations.
Khalilzad also met with President Ashraf Ghani with the president saying that Taliban and their Pakistan as their supporter should clarify the base of their relationship.
Taliban canceled meeting with Pakistan’s prime minister, arguing that their negotiators’ names were in the UN blacklist.
Meanwhile, some political analysts hope the upcoming meeting be followed by a lasting ceasefire.
“I think that Taliban are impressed after the Moscow meeting and want to put an end to the war. It is the time for them to use the chance. I think Khalilzad will be serious in this period of talks with the Taliban and it is highly likely that this time meeting will bring a lasting ceasefire,” said political analyst, Wadir Safi.
The peace efforts have been recently stepped up by the US and regional countries, but Taliban still refuse meeting Afghan officials. Both Kabul and Washington are trying to persuade the militants to join peace process.
