Afghan Taliban negotiation team to meet PM Imran Khan in Islamabad

KABUL: Afghan Taliban’s negotiation team will meet Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad to hold comprehensive discussions about Pak-Afghan relations, Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has said.

In a statement, Taliban Spokesman said, “As the negotiation process continues to place between the Islamic Emirates and United States, and meetings have already been held in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the next round will resume on the 25th of February 2019 in Qatari capital, Doha as per agreement reached during the previous meeting.”

The statement further says, “Similarly, by the formal invitation of the government of Pakistan, another meeting is scheduled to take place between the negotiation teams of Islamic Emirates and United States on 18th of February in Islamabad, where the negotiation team of Islamic Emirates will also meet Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to hold comprehensive discussions about Pak-Afghan relations and issues pertaining to Afghan refugees and Afghan businessmen.”

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The Taliban announced Tuesday a 14-member team to meet American negotiators this month in Doha, including five former Guantanamo Bay inmates and a high-profile militant behind bars in Afghanistan.

United States special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has undertaken extensive recent peace talks with the Taliban about ending the 17-year war in Afghanistan, with another round expected in late February.

The expanded negotiating team unveiled by the insurgents includes Anas Haqqani, who was captured in 2014 and whose older brother is deputy Taliban leader and head of the Haqqani network.

A spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, whose administration was not invited to the most recent round of Taliban talks in January, flatly denied Anas would be freed.

"Anas Haqqani is in prison, and no decision has been taken for his release," the spokesman, Haroon Chakhansuri, said on Twitter.

"The people of Afghanistan can rest assured that justice will be ensured."

The Taliban has long demanded that Anas be released, saying he is a student. Afghan authorities accuse him of a being a high-level player in the Haqqani network.

"Anas Haqqani was captured by the Americans, and should be released to better help with the talks," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP via WhatsApp.

The insurgents said the team announced Tuesday "would continue the current peace talks with the Americans".