Nawaz Sharif to broker talks between Afghan officials and ex-Taliban No 2
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promised Afghanistan that he would help arrange further meetings between Afghan officials and a former Taliban commander as part of renewed efforts to revive a defunct peace process.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promised Afghanistan yesterday that he would help arrange further meetings between Afghan officials and a former Taliban commander as part of renewed efforts to revive a defunct peace process.
Sharif said after meeting Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul that a deal had been reached to allow members of an Afghan peace council to continue talks with Islamabad's former prisoner, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
Pakistan announced it would release Baradar, the insurgent group's former second-in-command, in September. Afghan officials believe he still retains enough influence within the Taliban to help rekindle peace talks.
In a first such meeting, an Afghan delegation travelled to Pakistan about 10 days ago to meet the former commander, who remains under the close supervision of his Pakistani minders.
Sharif insisted Baradar was free and promised to facilitate further meetings.
"Mullah Baradar has been released. We have discussed this matter at length today," Sharif said. "Anybody who is sent ... we will make sure that such meetings take place."
