City
Epaper

Taliban-US talks resume in Doha following delay

By IANS | Updated: December 8, 2019 03:55 IST

The Taliban confirmed that stalled peace talks in Doha with the United States had "resumed" three months after they were abruptly called off by US President Donald Trump.

Open in App

"Today the Islamic Emirate Negotiation team, led by respected Mullah Baradar Akhund, resumed the talks with the US negotiation team from where they were called off," Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's spokesperson for their office in Qatar, said on Twitter on Saturday, Efe news reported.

"Talks were held about the signing of the agreement and other related issues and the talks will continue tomorrow as well," Shaheen said, referring to a draft agreement that was "completed" during the ninth round of talks between the two sides before Trump called off dialog in September.

Anas Haqqani, the son of the founder of the deadly Haqqani network insurgent group, who was released in November from an Afghan jail during a prisoner swap, took part in Saturday's talks, according to Shaheen.

Haqqani and two of other high-ranking Taliban members were released by the Afghan government with US mediation in exchange for two western professors as a trust building measure.

The move also aimed to pave the way for the resumption of the stalled talks as well as intra-Afghan talks between the Taliban and the government.

The Taliban has rejected the possibility of holding face to face talks with the government of President Ashraf Ghani, claiming it lacks power and serves as a puppet to the west.

US Envoy for Afghan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, played an active role in the prisoner exchange and has been leading the US delegation in the talks for over a year.

Before flying to Qatar for the peace talks, Khalilzad held a series of meetings with Afghan leaders and politic, including Ghani.

Ghani and Khalilzad discussed a ceasefire and Taliban safe havens in Pakistan.

Although a ceasefire or at least a reduction in violence has been one of the top demands of the Afghan government in recent months, the Taliban has refused to agree to a cessation in hostilities, arguing a peace deal needed to be signed with the US first.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: TalibanusAshraf Ghani
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalIndian-Origin Man Beheaded In US In Front Of Family After Violent Dispute

BusinessAnil Ambani’s Reliance Power and Reliance Infra Shares Zoom Even as Indian Markets Tumble Amid US Tariffs

InternationalMissouri House Blast: 5 Injured After Huge Explosion Damages 20 Homes in St Louis County

InternationalHurricane Erin Enters Into Category 2 Storm With Maximum Winds of 100 mph, Heavy Rainfall Over Caribbean Islands Likely

InternationalIowa Shooting: Two Killed, One Injured In Firing and Blast in Glenwood; Suspect Arrested

International Realted Stories

InternationalBangladesh: EC directs NCP to choose symbol from official list amid demand for 'Shapla'

InternationalBangladesh: Law Advisor Nazrul says no possibility of lifting ban on Awami League activities

InternationalBangladesh power vacuum exploited by opportunistic forces: Report

InternationalPakistan: Sindh CM suspends officials, orders action after new polio cases detected

InternationalUS government shuts down in political standoff with dim prospects of early deal