ISLAMABAD – A delegation of Aghan Taliban arrived in Pakistan to discuss the Afghan peace process with the Pakistani leadership.
The Taliban leaders would meet today Pakistan’s leadership and senior officials in number of meetings on Afghan Peace process.
The delegation led by the group’s deputy leader Mullah Abdul Baradar is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of the foreign office, the Taliban’s political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said.
Shaheen said the delegation went to Islamabad at the invitation of Pakistan and that they will meet with high-ranking Pakistani officials to discuss issues around Afghan peace among other topics.
The visit comes ahead of the much delayed intra-Afghan peace talks which were part of the deal signed between the group and the US in February and were expected to begin August 20 but got delayed, The News reported.
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Today, a high-level delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Political Deputy-Amir, IEA and Director of the Political Office, left for Pakistan at the invitation of Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
The delegation will hold talks with senior Pakistani officials— Suhail Shaheen (@suhailshaheen1) August 23, 2020
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policy pays visits to regional and world’s countries from time to time for furthering positive relations and conveying its views and stance to the world about the peace process.These visits were postponed due to the spread of COVID-19 but the series has been resumed now.— Suhail Shaheen (@suhailshaheen1) August 23, 2020
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Delegations of the
Political Office will pay more visits to other countries in near future as well.— Suhail Shaheen (@suhailshaheen1) August 23, 2020
The spokesperson added that the delegation will hold talks with senior Pakistani officials about recent developments in Afghanistan’s peace process, relaxation, and facilitation of peoples’ movement and trade between the two neighboring countries, issues related to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and other related topics.
This latest development comes just days after Pakistan imposed sanctions on “terrorists” and “terrorist associated groups” in order to avoid being demoted from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list.
Pakistan is seen as a key regional player in helping facilitate a February troop withdrawal deal between the United States and the Taliban to begin the process of ending 18 years of war. The agreement was intended to quickly lead to talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government but became mired in delays.
