Taliban envoys gather for peace talks with the US
Americans ask Pakistan for help in starting negotiation process that could end their longest running war
THE head of the Taliban has summoned his political envoys to Pakistan for consultations with the movement’s leadership, ahead of a round of tentative talks with America to kick-start a peace process.
Seven members of the Taliban’s Doha political office are understood to have arrived in Pakistan at the request of Haibatullah Akhunzada.
Their discussions with the leadership will be key in deciding the negotiating stance of the insurgents ahead of a meeting with Zalmay Khalilzad, the American envoy. The internal summit follows the death in a US drone strike at the weekend of a senior Taliban commander opposed to negotiations. “This is an important trip and will define lots for the Taliban in the next round of peace talks,” a Doha office source said.
It was unclear if the delegation led by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai would meet the head of the Taliban directly. Haibatullah is believed to have rarely contacted his envoys when first taking charge of the movement, but now appeared to be taking an interest in negotiations.
Mr Khalilzad, Donald Trump’s special envoy to Afghanistan, is visiting countries in the region this week before he is expected to meet the Taliban envoys.
Pakistan also disclosed yesterday that the US president had asked for the country’s help to start negotiations that could help end America’s longest running war.
Discussions between America and the Taliban so far are understood to have not moved beyond “talks about talks”. The Taliban refuses to speak to the Afghan government, which last week named its own 12-member negotiating team. But the Doha office source said the talks with the Americans were “moving forward despite huge differences remaining”.
“The good point is that we are talking and will keep talking,” he said.
A US drone on Saturday killed a powerful Taliban military commander who was said to be opposed to talks with the Americans.
Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund, the Taliban shadow governor of Helmand, was killed in the province’s Nawzad district, 300 miles south west of Kabul.
His control of the province’s opium crop gave him lavish wealth and independence within the movement, said Graeme Smith, a consultant for the International Crisis Group.
“That made Manan a persistent headache for the Taliban leadership, because he did not always respect orders.”
A former senior Taliban member said: “By coincidence or purpose, the eliminating of Mullah Manan and his other hardline colleagues in Helmand will help the Taliban political team to reach an agreement.”