Latest round of Afghan talks ends without progress

The latest talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have ended without significant progress even after the leader of the insurgent group said he favoured a political solution to the conflict.

Senior representatives of the government, including High Council for National Reconciliation chairman Dr Abdullah Abdullah, flew to Doha in for two days of talks with the group, which has been carrying out an offensive across Afghanistan.

The parties said they would meet again next week after agreeing on the need to reach a “just solution”.

Before the second day of talks, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said the group “strenuously favours a political settlement” despite seizing control of districts and border crossings.

But a spokesman for the Taliban’s political office has since said the group did not propose a ceasefire during the discussions in Doha.

“We did not present a proposal for a three-month truce,” he said.

Meetings with the government delegation will continue and the talks are “a good opportunity to bring views closer”, he said.

But the Qatari envoy overseeing the negotiations said the sides had only agreed to “work to prevent civilian casualties” after the latest round of talks.

“The two sides agreed to continue negotiations at a high level until a settlement is reached. For this purpose, they will meet again next week,” Mutlaq Al Qahtani said.

Government and Taliban representatives have met intermittently in Doha over the past two months.

The discussions appear to have lost momentum as the militants make gains on the battlefield.

As foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan, the Taliban have launched a series of offensives across the country.

They are now believed to control about half of the more than 400 districts in Afghanistan, as well as border crossings.

The Taliban have long appeared to be united, operating under an effective chain of command and carrying out complex military campaigns despite rumours of divisions within their leadership.

But questions remain over how much control the group’s leaders have over commanders, and whether they will be able to convince their fighters to abide by any ceasefire agreement.

Even though Mr Akhundzada’s statement came days before Eid Al Adha, it notably made no formal call for a halt to the violence.

Over the years, the Taliban have announced short ceasefires during the holidays, but the group has been criticised for using the temporary peace to resupply and reinforce its fighters.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan has recalled its ambassador to Pakistan, Najib Alikhil, over “security threats” after his daughter was kidnapped in Islamabad.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said Silsila Alikhil was held for several hours on Friday and “severely tortured”.

“Following the abduction of the daughter of Afghan ambassador in Pakistan, the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have recalled the Afghan envoy and other senior diplomats from Islamabad back to Kabul until all the security threats are removed,” the ministry said.

It called for the kidnappers to be arrested and prosecuted.

The ministry said Ms Alikhil was on her way home when she was kidnapped. She is being treated in hospital, it said.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said she was assaulted in her car and that the security of the ambassador and his family had been tightened.

“The abduction of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter and her subsequent torture have wounded the psyche of our nation. Our national psyche has been tortured,” Afghanistan’s Vice President Amrullah Saleh wrote on Twitter.

The abduction is “being investigated and followed up at the highest level”, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.

Relations between the countries have long been strained, with Kabul accusing Islamabad of offering safe haven to the Taliban. Pakistan, meanwhile, says Afghanistan turns a blind eye to militants who launch cross-border attacks.