Taliban, Afghan govt. engaged in secret talks in Islamabad: report

[Hindustani78]

Updated: July 7, 2015 17:22 IST
Taliban, Afghan govt. reportedly engaged in secret talks in Islamabad - The Hindu

As part of the peace and reconciliation process to end more than a decade of bloodshed
The Taliban and Afghan government negotiators are engaged in secret talks in the Pakistani capital as part of the peace and reconciliation process to end more than a decade of bloodshed, according to a media report.

The talks come after Pakistan Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had said last month that the Afghan government representatives and the Taliban were expected to meet in a week’s time.

The Afghan government is being led in the talks by Deputy Foreign Minister Hikmat Khalil Karzai while the Afghan Taliban side includes former deputy foreign minister Mullah Jalil and senior leader Qari Din Muhammad, the Express News reported.

Follow-up meeting
This is a follow-up meeting to the recently held talks in Urumqi, capital of China’s Xinjiang province.

However, the Afghan Taliban spokesperson denied having any knowledge of the talks in Islamabad.

“I do not have any information and will share if there is any,” Zabihullah Mujahid told the daily.

Taliban had decided to distance themselves from the peace talks last month as well after Aziz confirmed that negotiations were being facilitated.

Observers say that the Taliban want to keep the talks under the wraps to continue their offensive in Afghanistan.

 

[Ghareeb_Da_Baal]

self delete...

 

[FaujHistorian]

Updated: July 7, 2015 17:22 IST
Taliban, Afghan govt. reportedly engaged in secret talks in Islamabad - The Hindu

As part of the peace and reconciliation process to end more than a decade of bloodshed
The Taliban and Afghan government negotiators are engaged in secret talks in the Pakistani capital as part of the peace and reconciliation process to end more than a decade of bloodshed, according to a media report.

The talks come after Pakistan Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had said last month that the Afghan government representatives and the Taliban were expected to meet in a week’s time.

The Afghan government is being led in the talks by Deputy Foreign Minister Hikmat Khalil Karzai while the Afghan Taliban side includes former deputy foreign minister Mullah Jalil and senior leader Qari Din Muhammad, the Express News reported.

Follow-up meeting
This is a follow-up meeting to the recently held talks in Urumqi, capital of China’s Xinjiang province.

However, the Afghan Taliban spokesperson denied having any knowledge of the talks in Islamabad.

“I do not have any information and will share if there is any,” Zabihullah Mujahid told the daily.

Taliban had decided to distance themselves from the peace talks last month as well after Aziz confirmed that negotiations were being facilitated.

Observers say that the Taliban want to keep the talks under the wraps to continue their offensive in Afghanistan.

mera bhai

Not secret if these are announced in all major news outlet.

Must we create cheap sensationalism all the time.

Are we then attention starved?

 

[!eon]

Already posted
taliban-afghan-government-talk-peace-in-islamabad/

 

[Hindustani78]

Tue Jul 7, 2015 1:24pm EDT
Related: World, Afghanistan
United States welcomes Afghan-Taliban talks: White House| Reuters
WASHINGTON

Afghan forces prepare for battle with Taliban on the outskirts of Kunduz city, northern Afghanistan June 21, 2015.
Reuters/Stringer

The United States welcomes talks between the Afghan government and Taliban, the White House said on Tuesday after Afghanistan announced it had sent a peace delegation to Pakistan for talks.

"This is an important step toward advancing prospects for a credible peace," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

The meeting could be a step toward starting a formal peace process with the insurgent group, which was ousted from power by a U.S. led invasion in 2001.

 

[TheFlyingPretzel]

.

Is it just me, or does the ANA look better equipped than the Indian Army.

 

[Hindustani78]

Is it just me, or does the ANA look better equipped than the Indian Army.

Its strange that you want to compare Indian Army with Afghan Army.

 

[TheFlyingPretzel]

Its strange that you want to compare Indian Army with Afghan Army.

They are in bed together and supporting an almost dead insurgency in Pakistan together. Sounds reasonable to draw comparisons between two allied armies, even if the alliance is now in full reverse.

 

[Hindustani78]

They are in bed together and supporting an almost dead insurgency in Pakistan. Sounds reasonable to draw comparisons between two allied armies, even if the alliance is now in full reverse.

In reality , Afghans doesnt have any border dispute with India but they do have dispute with Pakistan.


The border clash occurred this past Tuesday in the remote Angoor Adda region, leaving one Afghan guard dead and another wounded. Pakistani officials have confirmed two of their soldiers were wounded. Kabul alleges Pakistani forces were building new facilities close to the border in violation of mutual agreements, provoking Afghan forces to intervene and open fire.

"The deputy to foreign ministry, Hekmat Khalil Karzai, while conveying Afghanistan`s concerns and protest to the Pakistani ambassador, pointed out that firing by Pakistani forces on the Afghan side is against international laws and diplomatic norms, warning repetition of such acts would damage the bilateral efforts for improving mutual relations and co-existence between the two neighbouring states," a statement of the ministry for foreign affairs here said.

An Afghan border police personnel named Najibullah, according to media reports, was killed in firing from across the border in Barmal district of Afghanistan`s eastern Paktika province two nights ago.

 

[That Guy]

mera bhai

Not secret if these are announced in all major news outlet.

Must we create cheap sensationalism all the time.

Are we then attention starved?

It's not the talks that are secret, but the content being discussed. This is so that outside pressure does not interfere and influence hard decisions in a negative way.

Even if a portion of the taliban movement sign a deal, this will mean the end of the insurgency as a major fighting force; They'll end up being a low key insurgency.

If no deal is signed, Pakistan will probably side with Kabul and carry out it's threat towards the taliban leaders. Pakistan knows that it cannot afford to have the taliban come back to power, and it will do whatever it takes to make sure they don't. On the other hand, it must make sure that the government in Kabul remains Pakistan-friendly.

With both TAPI and CPEC, there is a lot riding on these talks. Pakistan will no longer tolerate instability on it's western border.

 

[Indika]

And pakistan is eavesdropping on the talks.

Jokes apart,shouldnt the talks be held outside pakistan like qatar?. Every time talks are held in pakistan it only strengthens the fact and animosity in afghans that taliban is pakistan's proxy. Pakistan is not even trying to hide the fact that top rung of taliban is present in pakistan. If the talks fail obviously the fall guy will be pakistan.

 

[Valkyrie]

In reality , Afghans doesn't have any border dispute with India but they do have dispute with Pakistan.

Yes, because its hard to have a "border dispute" with a country you don't even share border with.

 

[Hindustani78]

Yes, because its hard to have a "border dispute" with a country you don't even share border with.

In reality India do have 106 kms border with Afghanistan .

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke about the 106 KM border that pre-1947 era India shared with Afghanistan and India wants to get back that land.

 

[Valkyrie]

In reality India do have 106 kms border with Afghanistan .

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke about the 106 KM border that pre-1947 era India shared with Afghanistan and India wants to get back that land.

Yes yes, offcourse. Ajit Doval is smoking some high quality stuff, eh?

Oh and by the way, here a little reality check : Kashmiris loath India, they have proven that time and again. If there's a referendum held today, Kashmiris would kick your draconian government out in a blink, this is how repulsive you are to them.

So you see how retarded you sound to the world when you insist on taking Azad Kashmir when you can't even justify your current illegitimate occupation.

But in a country where hawks like Doval rule, media consistently harps propaganda and blocks anti-India sentiments/events happening in Kashmir and perpetuates the widely-held delusion that somehow Kashmir is okay being part of your dominion and voices of sanity like Arun Dhati Roy are censored and harassed, nothing is surprising.

Keep living in lala land if that makes you happy, i suppose.

 

[Hindustani78]

Yes yes, offcourse. Ajit Doval is smoking some high quality stuff, eh?

Oh and by the way, here a little reality check : Kashmiris loath India, they have proven that time and again. If there's a referendum held today, Kashmiris would kick your draconian government out in a blink, this is how repulsive you are to them.

So you see how retarded you sound to the world when you insist on taking Azad Kashmir when you can't even justify your current illegitimate occupation.

But in a country where hawks like Doval rule, media consistently harps propaganda and blocks anti-India sentiments/events happening in Kashmir and perpetuates the widely-held delusion that somehow Kashmir is okay being part of your dominion and voices of sanity like Arun Dhati Roy are censored and harassed, nothing is surprising.

Keep living in lala land if that makes you happy, i suppose.

NSA Ajit Doval is talking about the Kashmir land which has been ceded by Pakistan to China.

India is engaging with both China and Pakistan to settle the dispute and get back the land which belongs to India.



Afghanistan, Taliban to meet again for peace talks after Ramadan: Pakistan | Zee News
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - 11:43
Kabul: In what was the first official talks between Afghan officials and Taliban insurgents, representatives from both sides met in Pakistan's Islamabad for peace talks on Tuesday.

Pakistan has meanwhile assured that both sides will meet again after the holy month of Ramadan, reports said.

The talks came just hours after Taliban struck a NATO convoy in Kabul, hurting three and also targeted Afghan spy agency the NDS.

According to a statement from Pakistani foreign ministry, during the talks it was "agreed that for lasting peace in the region, each side would approach the process in sincerity and with full commitment."

In a statement released Wednesday, the ministry said the talks were held Tuesday at Murree, a hill resort near Islamabad, Pakistan's capital.

Since taking office in September, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has made it a priority to find a peace settlement, even as fighting has continued in the war against the insurgency waged by the Taliban since their ouster in the 2001 US-led invasion.

The tentative step toward full peace negotiations aimed at ending more than 13 years of war is being observed by US and Chinese officials, AFP quoted Qazi Khalilullah, a spokesman for Pakistan`s foreign ministry.

Pakistan is hosting the meeting "as part of the commitment to facilitate an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process", Khalilullah added.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani first announced the talks earlier on Tuesday.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif described the talks as a "breakthrough" and adding "this process has to succeed".

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the United States welcomed the talks, calling them "an important step toward advancing prospects for a credible peace."

With Agency Inputs