After a long period of unwillingness on holding talks with the United States (US), the Afghan Taliban have shown an inclination for resumption of peace dialogue with the US, that had broken down in March 2012 in Doha.
The talks in Doha between the Mullah Omar-led Taliban and US were suspended after Taliban representatives led by Tayyab Agha, a close aide of Mullah Omar, blamed Washington for going back on its promise to release some senior insurgent leaders from Guantanamo Bay.
Taliban representatives including Tayyab Agha, Maulvi Shahabuddin Dilawar, former Taliban ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sohail Shaheen, former Taliban envoy in Pakistan and Qari Deen Muhammad have been leading a quiet life in Doha along with their families since the collapse of talks in March last year.
However, diplomatic sources said off late there had been indications that the Taliban leadership could give its nod to re-engagement in talks with US officials in Qatar.
They said the Taliban were well aware that they needed to sit on the dialogue table with American authorities before US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014.
A source said the Taliban would still like the US to set free their leaders from Guantanamo Bay and also recognise their movement as a group representing Afghan people and not a terrorist organisation.
“The difference this time could be that these Taliban conditions could be discussed in talks with the US officials in Doha and they would not be like any pre-conditions to resume the suspended talks,” the source said.
Another source, familiar with the latest developments on the Afghanistan reconciliation process said indications that Taliban could resume talks with the US didn’t mean that they (Taliban) could go for any immediate ceasefire in Afghanistan, as was desired by the US.
“Taliban are likely to continue with their attacks on NATO and Afghan troops as part of their strategy to put pressure on their opponents so that if and when there were peace negotiations, the Taliban representatives could speak from a position of strength,” said a source.
A Pakistani official when contacted said he was unaware of any willingness on part of the Taliban to resume talks with Washington. However, he said the matter of talks between different Afghan groups and the Taliban talks with US was discussed in the recent meeting in Brussels between the US Secretary of State John Kerry, Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
He said it was agreed during the Brussels meeting to accelerate efforts to bring Taliban to the table of negotiations so that the “sluggish” Afghanistan reconciliation process could be given the required thrust.
He said the three sides also agreed on the need to work for ironing out differences between Islamabad and Kabul on various issues.
The official said Pakistan was committed to continue its positive and constructive role towards achievement of a durable peace in Afghanistan.
“Islamabad, however, needs Kabul to reciprocate in the same manner and instead of engaging in any blame-game through media, it should work to improve ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said.
