Gen. Raheel Sharif To Visit Kabul, Resuming Peace Talks Soon
KABUL: (MEP) A head of a high-ranking government delegation, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif is visiting Kabul reportedly reviving the suspended dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban in upcoming weeks.
According to Pakistani media, the broader understanding for restarting the peace process was reached among Pakistan, Afghanistan, the US and China during Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to Islamabad last week where he attended the Heart of Asia conference. But details, including the timeline, would be finalised during Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif’s impending visit to Kabul in coming day.
This round of peace talks is also expected to be in Murree exurb of Islamabad where first round of talks took place in July.
Unlike the earlier process in which Pakistan played the role of lead facilitator, the new initiative will be driven through a quadrilateral arrangement and a steering committee comprising representatives of the four countries will oversee the process.
According to a US diplomat, the resumption could take place “by the turn of the year” after Sharif’s trip.
The biggest challenge to the start of the new process is the fresh attacks by Taliban. Militants attacked Kandahar Airport almost at the same time as Ghani landed in Islamabad last Wednesday to attend the Heart of Asia Conference, while gunmen on Friday struck the Spanish Embassy compound.
