KABUL (SW) – Analysts are upbeat about the potential developments in next round of talks between the U.S. and Taliban in Doha, Qatar.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, held delegation level meeting at the Foreign Office in Pakistan on Sunday. This is part of the U.S. Envoy’s latest trip to the region and a number of other countries in connection with the Afghan peace process.
“Productive 24hrs in #Islamabad. Briefed Pakistani leaders on progress we've made in the last month. Discussed what #Pakistan can do to help advance the #AfghanPeaceProcess. Pakistani cooperation on #Afghanistan peace serves regional interests & builds stronger US-Pak relations”, Khalilzad tweeted after concluding trip to Islamabad.
Political analyst, Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, told Salam Watandar the seventh round of talks between Khalilzad and the Taliban might deliver a breakthrough. “The Afghan conflict is very complicated, it might not be completely resolved in one, two, three or four sessions”, he cautioned.
A former Taliban-era official, Syed Akbar Aagha, said in this regard that the latest round of talks would entirely be focused on the issue of withdrawal of foreign troops. He said expectations are high that Khalilzad would bring a ‘positive’ news from Washington to these talks on this matter.
This comes as the Taliban leader, Mawlawi Hebatullah, has vowed to continue with the fighting until foreign troops are present in Afghanistan.
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