US, Taliban sign deal to end war in Afghanistan

Pull-out of US troops within 14 months; India reacts cautiously

DOHA/KABUL/NEWDELHI: The US and the Taliban signed a deal on Saturday that could lead to the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan over the next 14 months if the insurgents deliver on commitments not to allow the country to be used by terror groups and commence intra-afghan negotiations.

The deal was signed in the Qatari capital Doha by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Biradar soon after the Afghan government and the US issued a joint declaration that laid out Kabul’s readiness to participate in negotiations and conclude a ceasefire with the Taliban.

India reacted cautiously to the Us-taliban deal, reiterating its policy of supporting all moves that ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan, cut ties with international terrorism, and lead to a lasting political settlement through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who was present at the signing ceremony in Doha along with representatives of some 30 countries, including India, told a

news conference that the US expects countries in the region, including Pakistan, to continue to “promote a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan so that the country and region can reap the benefits of lasting peace”.

The US has depended significantly on Pakistan to assist in the negotiations with the Taliban, many of whose top leaders are

still based in Pakistani cities such as Karachi and Quetta. Biradar, a co-founder of the Afghan Taliban, was captured by Pakistani security agencies in Karachi in 2010 and he was released in late 2018 at the request of the US to facilitate the negotiations.

The so-called “comprehensive peace agreement” between the US and the Taliban has four parts

– guarantees that Afghan soil will not be used by terror groups, guarantees for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban starting intra-afghan negotiations from March 10, and negotiations for a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire” and a “future political road map of Afghanistan”.