Afghan Taleban delegation in Pakistan to discuss peace, arrests

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Afghan Taleban delegation in Pakistan to discuss peace, arrests

Dubai - This marks the first time the Taleban militants will come in high level contact with Kabul.

By PTI

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Published: Sat 22 Oct 2016, 4:04 PM

Last updated: Sun 23 Oct 2016, 9:15 AM

A three-member delegation of the Afghan Taleban arrived in Pakistan to discuss peace talks with the Afghan government and recent arrests of high-profile Taleban leaders by Pakistani authorities.
The trio consists former ministers in Taleban government Mullah Salam Hanifi and Mullah Jan Mohammed and ex-Taleban ambassador to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Maulvi Shahabuddin Dilawar.
Sources in Taleban and Pakistan officials confirmed that the delegation arrived this week and held meetings with "relevant quarters".
This is the first high level contact by the militants with Pakistan since Taleban held at least two round of talks with officials of Afghan government in Qatar. Pakistan was not part of the talks.
"Pakistan has been pushing Taleban to shun violence and enter in peace negotiation with Kabul. It welcomes any move to bring peace in Afghanistan so that all refugees should go back," a senior official of foreign office said on anonymity.
Sources said that Pakistan was keeping the distance with the talks to let rebels and Kabul directly sort out their problems.
But Islamabad is keeping pressure on rebels through different ways including arresting some of their leaders.
Those recently arrested include Ahmadullah Muti alias Mullah Nanai. He served as intelligence chief of slain Taleban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. Nanai was arrested from south western province of Balochistan.
Other arrested Taleban leaders are Suleman Agha, who was Taleban governor for Daykund province, and Mullah Sani, alias Samad Sani, who runs a madrassah and also is a known businessman. Taleban are visibly angry on the arrests.
Their anger was reflected in a letter penned down by former head of Qatar office of Taleban, Tayyab Agha.
He addressed the letter this month to Afghan Taleban chief Haibatullah Akhunzada.
Among other things, Agha advised the Taleban chief to shift Afghan Taleban to Afghanistan to avoid any alleged interference by Pakistani authorities.
He said Pakistan would also get benefits of it as would save itself from the allegation of supporting Taleban.
The first known direct talks between Taleban and Afghan government were organised by Pakistan near Islamabad in July, 2015 but they failed to make any progress due to announcement of the death of ex-Taleban chief Mullah Omar.


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