Zalmay Khalilzad, the US diplomat assigned to lead peace talks with the Taliban, is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday (today) for talks on Pakistan’s role in the peace process, officials said Monday. Khalilzad will hold talks with Pakistani officials on ways how to convince the Taliban sit with the Afghan government. Taliban have ruled out negotiations with the Kabul administration unless they reach an agreement on the issue of withdrawal of foreign troops. Taliban opened meetings with US in July and met US Deputy Secretary of State Ambassador Alice Wells. Khalilzad held three meetings with the Taliban – two in Qatar in October and November and third in UAE in December. Daily Times has learnt that the UAE meetings on Dec 17-18 led to tensions after the Taliban refused to meet the Afghan government’s representatives who were in the UAE. Officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE attended the talks, which Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed were facilitated by Pakistan. The State Department said last week that Khalilzad, in his current visit, will meet with senior government officials in each country to facilitate an intra-Afghan political settlement. Leading an interagency delegation, he has already visited India and China and is scheduled to visit Afghanistan after his visit to Pakistan. “US supports the desire of Afghan people and the international community for a political settlement that ends the 40-year conflict and ensures Afghanistan never again serves as a platform for international terrorism. Khalilzad will meet with Afghan government officials and other interested parties to support and facilitate an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan,” a State Department statement says. Special Representative Khalilzad continues to coordinate his efforts with President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and other Afghan stakeholders to ensure an intra-Afghan peace process, it said. During his last trip in December, Khalilzad reiterated that the only solution to the conflict is for all parties to sit together and reach an agreement on the political future of Afghanistan with mutual respect and acceptance. Published in Daily Times, January 15th 2019.