Daily Times

Afghan Taliban say they will visit Pakistan whenever they received a formal invitation, as they routinely pay visits to regional and other countries to explain their position regarding peace process and to address to others’ concerns.

Comments from Suhail Shaheen, Taliban political office spokesman in Qatar, came days after Prime Minister Imran Khan said in Washington he will meet the Taliban leaders in Pakistan on his return to convince them to hold negotiations with the Afghan government.

Taliban have rejected calls for direct talks with the Afghan government as they do not recognize the Kabul administration and insist their priority is to end invasion and seek a time-frame for withdrawal of all foreign forces.

Taliban have held a series of meetings with Afghan political leaders in Moscow and Doha over the past few months; however, no formal intra-Afghan negotiations have started so far.

Taliban for the first time agreed to allow three officials of the Afghan government to join a delegation of over 50 political leaders, women activists and civil society members in Qatar on July 7-8. The government representatives participated in their personal capacity but that also indicated Taliban flexible position about the intra-Afghan meetings.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Daily Times on Thursday from Doha via WhatsApp that Taliban political representatives will Pakistan if they are formally invited.

“We pay visits to regional and other countries for talks to explain our position on peace process and to listen to others. Pakistan is our neighbor and a Muslim country. Members of our political office will travel to Pakistan if we receive a formal invitation from Pakistan,” Shaheen said when he was asked about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks.

The Taliban spokesman said the visit could take place in the coming weeks.

The prime minister’s discussion with President Donald Trump was focused on Pakistan’s role in reconciliation in Afghanistan and the US pressed for Islamabad’s facilitating role.

“Now, when I go back after meeting President Trump, I will meet the Taliban and I will try my best to get them to talk to the Afghan government so that the elections in Afghanistan must be inclusive where the Taliban also participate in it,” Imran Khan said in Washington this week.

The prime minister told a public talk at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) that Taliban political envoys wanted to meet him months ago but he had to postpone the meeting following objections from the Afghan government. He said he has now discussed his plan to receive the Taliban leaders with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Earlier, Naeem ul Haq, special assistant to Prime Minister Khan had stated that President Ghani has agreed to the Taliban meeting with the prime minister.

Afghan government had angrily reacted to Taliban announcement in February that they would meet Imran Khan. Diplomatic sources in Islamabad said Kabul explored taking tough actions including closure of its embassy in Pakistan.

Ghani administration had also approached the United Nations to stop the Taliban visit, as nine of the Taliban’s 14-member negotiations team members were under UN sanctions.

The UN has now lifted sanctions on the Taliban for nine months so they could take part in peace process.

Although the Taliban spokesman said they would discuss the refugees and related issues in Pakistan, the talks will mainly focus on peace process.

American officials had been requesting Pakistan to encourage the Taliban show flexibility in the peace talks in Qatar and start direct talks with the government.

Taliban and US envoy are scheduled to resume talks in days to remove differences on a time-frame for the withdrawal of foreign forces.

American peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who is currently visiting Kabul to consul Afghan leaders on his mission, will proceed to Qatar to resume the seventh round of talks.

Shaheen told Daily Times in an early interview that few pints have left which are likely to be decided in the talks. He indicated both sides could finalize a deal within a month.