By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal January 25, 2019 A co-founder of the Afghan Taliban who was released from detention by Pakistan last year has been appointed as the leader of the militant group’s political office in Qatar. The move comes as the talks with the United States on a potential deal to bring an end to
VOA News Ayaz Gul January 24, 2019 ISLAMABAD — Hopes are running high that uninterrupted, extended peace talks between the United States and the Taliban in Qatar could set the stage for a politically negotiated settlement to the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan. The talks opened Monday with the U.S. team led by Washington’s special representative for
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan January 22, 2019 KABUL — Afghan officials say a Taliban attack on a military base to the west of Kabul killed at least 65 members of the country’s security forces. Taliban militants carried out the assault in Maidan Shahr, the capital of Maidan Wardak Province, early on January 21. “We
Ayaz Gul VOA News January 20, 2019 ISLAMABAD — The process of submitting nomination papers for the upcoming presidential vote in Afghanistan concluded Sunday, with President Ashraf Ghani and his ruling coalition partner Abdullah Abdullah among the candidates seeking the country’s top office. Ghani and Abdullah, who was appointed chief executive in a deal mediated by
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 19, 2019 The Taliban has denied reports that it is prepared to resume talks with U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on ending Afghanistan’s 17-year war. Pakistani media had reported that a meeting in Islamabad was possible following talks in the Pakistani capital between Khalilzad and senior Pakistani officials, including Prime
Ayaz Gul VOA News January 17, 2019 ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has intensified efforts to keep the U.S.-led dialogue with the Afghan Taliban on track by attempting to arrange a meeting between the visiting chief American negotiator and insurgent representatives, highly placed sources told VOA Thursday. These official sources appeared confident about bringing the two sides to
1TV: Speaking at a roundtable discussion with media persons, Zalmay Khalilzad, US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, said that there is a consensus among all the regional partners on Taliban talking to the Afghan government. “If the Talibs want to talk, we can talk. If they want to fight, we can fight,” Khalilzad said. “We hope
RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal January 15, 2019 Pakistan has detained a senior member of the Afghan Taliban, sources in the group say. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources told RFE/RL that Hafiz Mohibullah, religious affairs minister when the Taliban ran Afghanistan before the 2001 U.S.-led invasion, was detained in the northwestern city of Peshawar. There
Ayaz Gul VOA News January 14, 2019 ISLAMABAD — The fledgling U.S.-initiated dialogue with the Taliban, aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan, has come to a halt, an insurgent spokesperson said Monday, apparently dealing a blow to renewed hopes for a much-needed Afghan peace. The disclosure comes as the chief U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, is
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan January 9, 2019 KABUL — The U.S. special envoy on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has begun a two-week diplomatic tour of Afghanistan and other countries in the region in an attempt to push forward the peace process with the Taliban. Khalilzad began his latest diplomatic mission on January 8 — the same