Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Resumption of peace talks would be of no use, unless Pakistan target militants on its soil, said the deputy spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani.
Sayed Zafar Hashemi told Radio Azadi that Kabul would be ready for resumption of talks with the Taliban militants, only if Pakistan takes action against those insurgent groups on its soil who are hell-bent on killing Afghans.
This comes at a time that during recent trip of Pakistan’s Army Chief General Raheel Sharif’s recent visit to the United States, Islamabad and Washington agreed to work together for resumption of stalled peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban militants.
“We want Pakistan to take action against those insurgent groups who have imposed war on Afghans and are carrying out terrorist activities in Afghanistan. Once Pakistan met our demands, we are ready to take peace with the Taliban,” said Hashemi.
In the meantime, some media outlets reported that the Taliban have named a new head for their political office in Qatar. They quoted a militant source saying the new leader is a supporter of peace talks with the Afghan government. “Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, a former anti-Soviet fighter, and his deputy Abdul Salam Hanafi were appointed by the insurgents’ leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour,” a member of Quetta Shura told AFP.
The Taliban in media statement also confirmed appointed of Stanekzai and Hanafi.
Matiullah Kharotai, a political analyst, said that the current rifts among the Taliban groups are considered as an obstacle before resumption of peace talks. However, he said that breaking silence over the peace talks will herald hopes that the wars have finely an end.
