Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
July 14, 2016
The Afghan president’s office said there are currently no plans to try to kick-start peace talks with the Taliban.
Haroon Chakhansuri, spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, said on July 14 that a four-nation group created in hopes of starting talks with Talbian representatives had no plans to meet, the AP reported.
The group — which is made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the United States — has met five times this year in both Kabul and Pakistan.
But Taliban representatives refused to participate in any of the meetings.
Ghani has accused Islamabad of harboring Taliban leaders, a charge that Pakistani officials reject.
Chakhansuri said Afghanistan continues to suffer from “terrorist groups that operate from and have a support base in Pakistan.”
Ghani said upon assuming office in 2014 that he would seek to make peace with the Taliban and its affiliate, the Haqqani network.
But a series of bomb attacks in Kabul this year led Ghani to cut off dialogue with Pakistan until it ended support for the Taliban.
Based on reporting by AP and Khaama Press
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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