7 Taliban leaders in Islamabad for talks

Pakistani officials have hosted seven Taliban leaders in Islamabad to try and press the insurgents into peace talks ahead of a multi-nation meeting in April in Moscow, according to two Taliban officials.

Islamabad has been under international pressure to try and bring Taliban leaders, who have lived in Pakistan since their rule in Afghanistan was overthrown in the 2001 US invasion, into some form of negotiations with Kabul.

However, successive attempts have faltered and failed. Last year Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States met to jump-start the peace process but that effort faltered after a series of deadly Kabul attacks that Afghanistan blamed on militants hiding in Pakistan.

Moscow meeting

China, Russia and Pakistan are behind the initiative of the April meeting in Moscow. Afghanistan will attend the meeting as will Iran and India. Washington has not said whether it would attend.

The two Taliban officials told The Associated Press that the Taliban used the Islamabad gathering, which took place last week, to press their own demands, including that Pakistan free Taliban figures from its jails.

The two officials, who were familiar with the Islamabad meeting, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals by Pakistani authorities who have not confirmed the meeting.

The international community has stepped up efforts to find a peaceful solution to Afghanistan’s protracted war with the Taliban as security across Afghanistan deteriorates and the Daesh group threatens to expand its foothold in the region.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks across Afghanistan since the US and Nato formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, leaving a smaller contingent of troops behind to focus on training and counterterrorism.