Islamabad, Apr. 22 (ANI): Senior officials from Pakistan and the United States have held talks to break the apparent deadlock in efforts to reach out to the Afghan Taliban for a peaceful end to a decade-long war. A high-level US delegation, led by US acting special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan David Pearce, travelled to Islamabad to meet senior Pakistani civil and military officials, reports The Express Tribune. The meeting came at a time when tension is running high between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The US delegation met with Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in Rawalpindi. According to a foreign official, the focus of discussions was on how to give fresh impetus to the Afghan reconciliation process, which is believed to have been making little headway because of mistrust among the key players. A statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), confirmed that the two sides discussed efforts to seek a peaceful end to the Afghan conflict. However, the official said both Pakistan and the US were willing to expedite efforts for a peace deal in Afghanistan. He said the issue of Afghan Taliban releases and Qatar process also came up for discussion.
The two countries agreed that future releases of Taliban prisoners, currently in Pakistan”s custody, must be done through better coordination. The US side appreciated Pakistani steps to facilitate the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, he added. The official maintained that Pakistan conveyed to the US that Islamabad was ready to reengage Kabul on the issue of Taliban releases, but the Afghanistan government is reluctant to discuss the issue. The release of Taliban prisoners has been suspended indefinitely due to strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kabul has accused Islamabad of sabotaging peace efforts. Pakistan has denied the charge saying it remained committed to the reconciliation process. (ANI)