Pakistan to host peace talks between Afghan government and Taliban

Negotiators from the Afghan government and Taliban are expected to meet in Pakistan next week for a second round of direct peace talks, officials in Islamabad and Kabul said on Sunday. The possibility of a "limited" ceasefire might be on the table when two sides resume talks on Friday, a Pakistani intelligence official told dpa.

Officials from an Afghan peace body and Taliban representatives met for the first time in the hill resort of Murree near the Pakistani capital Islamabad on 7 July in what was described as an ice-breaker aimed at ending the 14-year-old conflict. Pakistani, US and Chinese officials also took part in that meeting, which ended with a resolve to continue the dialogue.

"This time the focus will be on the ceasefire," said the Pakistani official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "If not all over Afghanistan, at least in some parts of the country."

While Islamabad was the likely venue for next week's meeting, a Foreign Ministry official said that there could be a last-minute change. "China is also under consideration," he added.

Ismail Qasimyar, a member of the Afghan peace body, said the process might take several meetings before an agreement is reached to ensure stability in Afghanistan. The meeting in Murree was the first officially acknowledged contact between Kabul and Taliban insurgents.

An earlier attempt in 2013 to start peace talks with the Taliban ended abruptly after a controversy over the opening of a political office for the rebels in the Gulf state of Qatar.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif warned the Taliban to give up violence when he visited Kabul with Pakistani military and intelligence leaders in May.

Analysts have said that Pakistan wielded significant influence over the Taliban and Islamabad's support could determine the fate of the peace process.     (dpa)

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