Members of Afghan Taliban (Image from Internet)
Islamabad (IINA) – The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday confirmed a visit of its leaders to Pakistan, Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported.
A three-member delegation arrived in Islamabad from its Qatar-based office on Monday to discuss with Pakistan the possibility of the peace talks, diplomatic and official sources said.
"Since the Afghan people have close relations, long border and commercial transactions with neighboring country Pakistan and a large number of our countrymen are living there as refugees. Therefore, the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate has decided to send a high level delegation to Islamabad," the Taliban Qatar office said.
"The esteemed leader of Islamic Emirate has instructed the delegation to discuss issues regarding Afghan refugees, some problems about frontier areas and particularly to discuss the release of Mullah Bradar Akhund and some other prisoners with the officials of the government of Pakistan."
Mullah Baradar, the former second-in-command in the Taliban hierarchy, was arrested in Karachi in 2010, and the Taliban said he has not yet been freed.
Pakistan said that Baradar had been released along with some 50 senior Taliban leaders in 2013 at the request of then Afghan Hamid Karzai.
The visit to Pakistan "would be in the interest of both countries and would have fruitful results", a Taliban statement said.
AB/IINA
No comments:
Post a Comment