ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have held crucial talks, first in several months, in the Doha as part of the latest push to iron out their differences on the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to a Pakistani newspaper, the talks were held at the residence of Pakistan’s envoy to Qatar, between Pakistan’s special envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Durrani and Chief Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid.
Asif Durrani and Zabiullah Mujahid were leading their sides’ respective delegations at the third meeting of the Doha process on Afghanistan.
On the sidelines, Pakistan’s envoy to Qatar invited Zabiullah Mujahid over a dinner where they held formal meeting with Asif Durrani.
Taliban spokesperson Mujahid has termed his interaction with Pakistani officials as “good” and hoped that ties between the two neighbours would improve. Asif Durrani stated that he discussed the Doha meeting and regional matters with the Taliban delegation.
The meeting occurred against the backdrop of simmering tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. Tensions deepened further following Pakistan indicated it might resort to cross border attacks to target the terrorist hideouts of banned TTP.
According to Express Tribune, the meeting was part of renewed efforts by Islamabad to convince the Afghan Taliban to get rid of the banned TTP and its affiliates.
The latest push came following Islamabad decided to use all possible diplomatic options to address the issue of banned TTP. The Express Tribune reported that the Taliban side was conveyed that there was no issue between the two neighbours except the TTP. Durrani told the Taliban side that if Afghanistan took care of the issue, the ties between the two sides would see a positive turn.
During the closed door session of the Doha meeting, Asif Durrani brought up the matter of sanctuaries and urged the Afghan Taliban to tackle them, Express Tribue reported.
Meanwhile, after the conclusion of two-day meeting, a senior UN official has clarified that the Doha meeting and presence of the Taliban delegation must not be misconstrued as global recognition of the Kabul regime or step towards it.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary Dicarlo said that this is not a meeting regarding recognition and having engagement doesn’t mean recognition. She said that this is not about the Taliban but this is about Afghanistan and its people. She made it clear that this did not mean that the issue of girls’ education and human and women rights were no longer a priority of the UN and other stakeholders.
