ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s special envoy, Mohammad Omar Daudzai on Wednesday said that Pakistan was playing a positive role in the Afghan peace talks, ARY News reported.
In an interview to BBC, Daudzai said Pakistan’s government and country’s institutions were on the same page, which would provide a suitable environment for holding talks on key issues. Daudzai is currently in Islamabad on an official visit.
“I don’t want to get into the past, but in the present, there is much evidence that Pakistan is playing a positive role in Afghan peace talks,” said Daudzai. He said Pakistan’s attitude towards Afghanistan has also changed.
When asked why the Taliban do not want to hold talks with the Afghan government, Daudzai said it was a longstanding desire of the Taliban to first negotiate with the US and later with the Afghan government.
According to the Afghan envoy, no final talks have taken place between the US and Taliban thus far, which is why they are refusing to hold a meeting with the Afghan government.
He expressed hope that Afghan Taliban would soon sit with the Afghan government and hold talks.
Meanwhile, Daudzai also met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on Tuesday who assured him that Pakistan would make all-out efforts to seek an end to the “bloodshed” in the neighbouring country.
The United States and Pakistan are expected to engage on higher level in the wake of this visit to take the process forward.
A new era of dialogue on political facilitation in Afghanistan and pullout of the US troops is expected to begin, sources said adding that the Afghan elections have been delayed due to these talks.
The US President Donald Trump had recently announced calling back a significant number of US troops from Afghanistan.
