Political envoys of Afghan Taliban and US made progress in peace talks in Qatar on fourth day on Thursday and a Taliban official was hopeful of ‘a deal coming very soon’. Both sides are involved in talks since Monday in Doha. US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad leads an 11-member delegation and in-charge of Taliban political office in Qatar Sher Abbas Stanekzai is heading an eight-member team of political envoys, a Taliban official told Daily Times. “The Americans are urging the Taliban to commit that they would not allow Afghan soil to pose threat to the US and other countries in the future and we will undertake it will not happen,” he further said. Sources familiar with the peace negotiations say Pakistan has played a key role in revival of US-Taliban talks that faced some problems in the recent weeks. This is for the first time that the US-Taliban talks have entered the fourth day and sources privy to the negotiations have attached much hopes to the ongoing round. Pakistan is also participating in the ongoing talks, Foreign Office spokesman Dr Faisal confirmed on Thursday. “Yes Pakistan is present in Qatar,” he said at a weekly briefing, when asked if Pakistan is participating in the talks. “Pakistan’s role and position is very clear: all matters should be resolved through political dialogue and negotiations,” he added. Mullah Baradar: The Taliban leadership council has appointed senior leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as head of the political office, in a move aimed at winning support of the military commanders and foot soldiers for peace process with the US. Pakistan freed Mullah Baradar, the former deputy chief of the Taliban, in October last year ‘in line with its commitment to facilitate peace process in Afghanistan’. Foreign Office spokesman Dr Faisal had stated at that time that Baradar was freed on request from the US peace envoy. Baradar, who served as the Taliban military affairs chief, was arrested in Karachi in 2010 in a joint raid by Pakistani and US intelligence agents. Five senior Taliban leaders, who had been freed from Guantanamo Bay’s detention center in 2014 in exchange for US soldier Bowe Bergdahl, have already joined the Taliban political team in Qatar to bolster the office. Published in Daily Times, January 25th 2019.