Taliban should Attend Afghan Elections: Khan
The Pakistani PM Imran Khan, who was delivering a public talk at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, said that Taliban should be part of Afghan elections, adding that he is ready to talk with Taliban leaders back in Islamabad.
The Pakistani PM Imran Khan, who was delivering a public talk at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, said that Taliban should be part of Afghan elections, adding that he is ready to talk with Taliban leaders back in Islamabad.
Khan spoke a day after he met with President Donald Trump at the White House where the two leaders agreed to work together to end to the conflict in Afghanistan.
“Now, when I go back after meeting President Trump … I will meet the Taliban and I will try my best to get them to talk to the Afghan government so that the elections in Afghanistan must be inclusive where the Taliban also participate in it,” he said.
The Taliban is strongly opposed to engaging in any formal intra-Afghan negotiations, involving the Kabul government, until securing a peace deal with the U.S.
“Pakistan is now trying its best to get the Taliban on the table to start this dialogue and, so far, we have done pretty well. But it’s not going to be easy. Do not expect this to be easy because it’s a very complicated situation in Afghanistan,” Khan added.
Earlier this year, Kabul strongly opposed to the Taliban’s sanctioned members to travel to Islamabad, meeting senior Pakistani officials and complained to the United Nations.
Kabul has always accused Pakistan of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs as well as equipping Taliban group and other terrorist networks; something Islamabad has repeatedly rejected.
Pakistan’s role in bringing peace to Afghanistan became clear after the US decided to enter talks with the Taliban in order to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.
