Elusive peace: Ghani phones Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday to discuss possible resumption of peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

The two sides had had a rare face-to-face meeting in Murree on July 7 and agreed to meet again by the end of the month. However, the second round was put off following the confirmation of the death of Taliban’s longtime leader Mullah Omar and subsequent acrimonious transition.

According to sources, President Ghani and Premier Nawaz agreed that the second round of talks should start as soon as possible. The prime minister appreciated the Ghani administration’s approach towards Pakistan during the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. Unlike the past, accusing fingers were not pointed towards Pakistan for the recent uptick in Taliban violence.

According to a statement issued from the Prime Minister House, President Ghani made a telephone call to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the two leaders spoke for about 10 minutes. Matters of mutual and bilateral interest, including regional situation, were discussed.

The reconciliation process in Afghanistan with the Taliban also came under discussion. Premier Nawaz expressed profound grief over the recent blasts in Afghanistan and conveyed his condolences over the human losses.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2015.