Islamabad, Kabul need to tackle Taliban together: US
Militant group’s representatives to attend ‘non-official’ meeting in Qatar
PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The White House on Friday said Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work together to effectively overcome the Taliban challenge in an allusion to the January 20 militant attack on a public sector university in Charsadda district.
"The conclusion that we've drawn here is...that the Taliban poses a security threat to both countries, and that the nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan are going to be able to more effectively confront that threat if they're able to more effectively cooperate,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
Sartaj Aziz opposes preconditions for Afghan peace talks
On Wednesday, a splinter group of banned TTP stormed the Bacha Khan University in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and opened fire on students and teachers, killing 21 people.
Earnest said the US had long been supportive of the reconciliation process between the Afghan government and the Taliban. He said the US was hoping to facilitate better cooperation between the two South Asian neighbours.
"Any sort of decisions about how the continuation of those talks and any sort of agreement that could be produced by those talks about whether or not that's in the interest of those countries to pursue – those are decisions that will be made by the leaders in those two countries, as it should be," he said.
On Thursday, US Vice President Joe Biden also held a trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Davos to discuss the recent reconciliation efforts. Biden had reaffirmed US support for reconciliation and improved bilateral ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Meeting in Doha
Afghan Taliban say their negotiators will attend a non-official meeting in Qatar on Saturday (today) that will discuss the peace process in Afghanistan. However, the Afghan foreign ministry on Friday said the government and its peace council will not attend the conference.
Taliban toughen stance on peace talks ahead of quadrilateral meeting
Foreign Ministry spokesman Shakeb Mustaghni told the media in Kabul that the government will not attend the meeting as the quadrilateral process is under way.
Two meetings of top officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States have taken place while the third quadrilateral meeting will take place next week. The Taliban, who have declined to talk to the Kabul administration so far, said on Friday that members of the political office will participate at a conference convened by Pugwash, an international NGO.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2016.
The White House on Friday said Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work together to effectively overcome the Taliban challenge in an allusion to the January 20 militant attack on a public sector university in Charsadda district.
"The conclusion that we've drawn here is...that the Taliban poses a security threat to both countries, and that the nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan are going to be able to more effectively confront that threat if they're able to more effectively cooperate,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
Sartaj Aziz opposes preconditions for Afghan peace talks
On Wednesday, a splinter group of banned TTP stormed the Bacha Khan University in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and opened fire on students and teachers, killing 21 people.
Earnest said the US had long been supportive of the reconciliation process between the Afghan government and the Taliban. He said the US was hoping to facilitate better cooperation between the two South Asian neighbours.
"Any sort of decisions about how the continuation of those talks and any sort of agreement that could be produced by those talks about whether or not that's in the interest of those countries to pursue – those are decisions that will be made by the leaders in those two countries, as it should be," he said.
On Thursday, US Vice President Joe Biden also held a trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Davos to discuss the recent reconciliation efforts. Biden had reaffirmed US support for reconciliation and improved bilateral ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Meeting in Doha
Afghan Taliban say their negotiators will attend a non-official meeting in Qatar on Saturday (today) that will discuss the peace process in Afghanistan. However, the Afghan foreign ministry on Friday said the government and its peace council will not attend the conference.
Taliban toughen stance on peace talks ahead of quadrilateral meeting
Foreign Ministry spokesman Shakeb Mustaghni told the media in Kabul that the government will not attend the meeting as the quadrilateral process is under way.
Two meetings of top officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States have taken place while the third quadrilateral meeting will take place next week. The Taliban, who have declined to talk to the Kabul administration so far, said on Friday that members of the political office will participate at a conference convened by Pugwash, an international NGO.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2016.