Islamabad still mulling Kabul’s offer of talks, overtures

The invitation follows a visit last weekend to Kabul by Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Nasser Janjua and also last month’s offer by Mr. Ghani of unconditional talks with the Taliban.

March 20, 2018 12:49 pm | Updated 12:51 pm IST - Islamabad:

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in this file photo.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in this file photo.

Pakistan is still mulling Afghanistan’s recent overtures, including an invitation that Pakistani Prime Minister visit Kabul.

Analysts widely see the offer as a good sign, underscoring that dialogue between the two often uneasy neighbours is key to defeating militants on both sides of the border.

Pakistan, however, says it wants to consult the country’s political and military leadership before accepting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s invitation.

The invitation follows a visit last weekend to Kabul by Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Nasser Janjua and also last month’s offer by Mr. Ghani of unconditional talks with the Taliban.

The Taliban have not responded yet.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman Moahmmad Faisal said on Tuesday the country’s political and military leaders are carefully considering the invitation in order “to prepare a brief for the Prime Minister.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.