PTI, Islamabad :
The Taliban said Wednesday that its negotiators would meet US envoys for talks this month in Islamabad, and also sit down with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss Afghanistan.
While Islamabad did not immediately confirm the talks, Washington said it had “noted” the announcement, which comes after weeks of meetings between the US and Taliban officials. “We are not going to negotiate in public,” a US State Department spokesperson told AFP, adding that the US had not received a formal invitation to any talks.
“This is the beginning of a long process which we continue to work through private diplomatic channels.” The announcement comes as America’s chief negotiator tours the globe shoring up support for a peace process to end its longest war. Zalmay Khalilzad, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, held extensive talks with the militants last month in Qatar, where the Taliban have an office.
