Afghan Taliban delegation holds meeting with Shah Mehmood

Islamabad, August 25 (Online): A delegation of Afghan Taliban, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani, called on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad on Tuesday, says in media reports.

During the meeting, the delegation apprised the Foreign Minister about the situation regarding implementation of the agreement reached between the Taliban and the United States. Views were also exchanged about early start of intra-Afghan dialogue. During the meeting, the Afghan delegation informed the foreign minister of the progress made on the peace deal inked between the US and the Taliban.

“From the start, Pakistan has taken the position that a lasting and permanent solution can only be achieved through dialogue overseen by the Afghans,” said Qureshi during the meeting. He said that Pakistan had continued to play its role in the peace process under a shared responsibility, the efforts of which paid off when the US and Taliban signed the peace deal in Doha in February.

He expressed the hope that the Afghan leadership would take full advantage of the rare opportunity in the form of the peace agreement. The foreign minister said that Pakistan wanted the intra-Afghan dialogue to be held as soon as possible to ensure peace in the region.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the foreign minister said that the meeting with the Taliban leadership was two hours long. “The Taliban leadership thinks that Pakistan has played a positive role in bringing peace in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that the only way forward was through dialogue. He added that the Taliban thought that the peace deal inked in Doha should be implemented.