US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad is scheduled to hold talks with Pakistani officials in Islamabad today (Thursday) ahead of his crucial meeting with the Taliban to end conflict in Afghanistan, officials said.
A Pakistani official said on Wednesday that the American envoy will brief Pakistani officials on the progress made so far in talks with the Taliban in Qatar.
He told Daily Times that Khalilzad will meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office. He will depart for Qatar in the evening.
The US envoy’s visit to Pakistan is being considered very important, as he will later proceed to Qatar to hold talks with the Taliban and try remove differences over certain complicated issues including differences over a timeframe for the withdrawal of foreign forces. They had started negotiations in October last year to find out a political solution to the American longest war. Both sides had last briefly met on July 9 and later decided to take a break in the seventh round to consult leaders for a final decision.
Some Taliban sources confided to Daily Times that Taliban political envoys have earlier been informed that Khalilzad will meet them on Thursday when he reaches Qatar after concluding talks in Islamabad. But a Taliban official said late Wednesday that no talks were scheduled on Thursday.
Sources say both sides have suggested different period for the withdrawal of the foreign troops. The Taliban have offered nine months for withdrawal of foreign forces, while American negotiators have suggested withdrawal in 18 months.
Khalilzad, who has wrapped up his visit to Afghanistan, said on Wednesday that he will be heading to Qatar for talks with the Taliban and will have a stopover in Pakistan. “I’m off to Doha, with a stop in Islamabad. In Doha, if the Taliban do their part, we will do ours, and conclude the agreement we have been working on,” the US special envoy tweeted.
Talking about his visit to Afghanistan, he said described the visit as the “most productive visit” to Afghanistan since he has taken his job as special representative. The US and Afghanistan had agreed on next steps, and a negotiating team and technical support group were being finalised, Khalilzad stated in a tweet.
The Taliban have inducted five more members in the political negotiations team, taking its number to 19 and making it more authoritative ahead of the crucial talks in Qatar.
Meanwhile, the Afghan government said on Wednesday that it had constituted a 15-member team for intra-Afghan talks that would start after the Taliban and the US announced a peace deal. The team is inclusive and all ethnic groups and political diversity have been considered in its formation, Tolo TV reported.
Earlier, the Taliban and Khalilzad disputed remarks by a senior Afghan official that the Afghan government would start direct talks with the Taliban within two weeks.
The Taliban said they would not talk to the Kabul administration but it would be part of the talks after holding a series of discussions and consultations with all sides involved in the process inside and outside the country.
Several countries have offered to host intra-Afghan talks, including China, Norway, Germany and Uzbekistan.
The Taliban will start formal intra-Afghan dialogue after the US makes announcement about timetable for withdrawal of the troops, according to sources familiar with the Taliban-US talks. The Taliban will also declare ceasefire after the US starts troop withdrawal, they said.