Abdullah welcomes PM’s offer to revive Afghan peace talks
Afghan CEO's response comes two days after PM Nawaz said he "wants to bring the Taliban back to the negotiation...
A file photo of Afghanistan Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdullah Abdullah. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah welcomed on Monday the offer by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to revive the stalled Afghan peace process but urged Pakistan to end its 'support' to the Afghan Taliban.
Abdullah's response comes two days after PM Nawaz said he "wants to bring the Taliban back to the negotiation table".
“This is a good offer but we want support to the Taliban to end. This would be useful as they [Taliban] would not have the ability of launching major attacks," the Afghan leader told ministers in response to the prime minister’s offer, according to the Afghan media.
Abdullah was quoted as saying that “trust” between the two neighbours will be in the best interest of Afghanistan.
Pakistan had postponed the second round of Murree talks between Afghan Taliban and the government in Kabul after the death of Taliban supremo Mullah Omar in late July.
Read: Pakistan ready to facilitate Afghan peace process
Talking to reporters in Lahore, PM Nawaz said the news of Mullah Omar’s death had a “negative impact” on the Afghan peace process.
The deadly Kabul blasts in August proved to be a major setback for the negotiations as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused Pakistan of being involved in the attacks.
Meanwhile, the National Unity government in Kabul has not yet chalked out a strategy to revive the peace process. The government-sponsored High Peace Council has no chairman since Salahuddin Rabbani was inducted in the cabinet in January.
Sources in Afghanistan say Kabul is under pressure to revive the talks as Taliban have increased attacks recently. The capture of the strategic northern city of Kunduz on September 28, without any stiff resistance was also seen as a weakness of Afghan forces and its NATO allies.
Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah welcomed on Monday the offer by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to revive the stalled Afghan peace process but urged Pakistan to end its 'support' to the Afghan Taliban.
Abdullah's response comes two days after PM Nawaz said he "wants to bring the Taliban back to the negotiation table".
“This is a good offer but we want support to the Taliban to end. This would be useful as they [Taliban] would not have the ability of launching major attacks," the Afghan leader told ministers in response to the prime minister’s offer, according to the Afghan media.
Abdullah was quoted as saying that “trust” between the two neighbours will be in the best interest of Afghanistan.
Pakistan had postponed the second round of Murree talks between Afghan Taliban and the government in Kabul after the death of Taliban supremo Mullah Omar in late July.
Read: Pakistan ready to facilitate Afghan peace process
Talking to reporters in Lahore, PM Nawaz said the news of Mullah Omar’s death had a “negative impact” on the Afghan peace process.
The deadly Kabul blasts in August proved to be a major setback for the negotiations as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused Pakistan of being involved in the attacks.
Meanwhile, the National Unity government in Kabul has not yet chalked out a strategy to revive the peace process. The government-sponsored High Peace Council has no chairman since Salahuddin Rabbani was inducted in the cabinet in January.
Sources in Afghanistan say Kabul is under pressure to revive the talks as Taliban have increased attacks recently. The capture of the strategic northern city of Kunduz on September 28, without any stiff resistance was also seen as a weakness of Afghan forces and its NATO allies.