Taliban delegation due in Islamabad today for peace talks

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the Taliban Political Commission (TPC), headed by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, will be visiting Pakistan for talks on the ongoing peace process.

During the three-day visit, the delegation will meet with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and call on Prime Minister Imran Khan

The TPC delegation last visited Pakistan in August 2020.

The visit of Taliban Political Commission delegation is part of Pakistan’s policy to reach out to key Afghan parties in the Afghan peace process with a view to facilitating the Intra-Afghan Negotiations, that commenced in Doha on 12 September 2020.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan will continue to support an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement for durable peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region.

The visit coincides with the sixth anniversary of the 2014 terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in which 150 children and staff members were killed.

A section of netizens questioned the timing of the Taliban’s visit, saying this would hurt the families of the martyrs.