Long-term reduction must in violence, US tells Taliban

Kabul: Amid the ongoing Doha talks, the US negotiators have asked the Taliban to agree to a long-term reduction in violence before signing the peace deal that both sides have discussed over the past year, according to informed sources.

Earlier reports had indicated that the Taliban agreed to a short-term reduction in violence, but the sources said on Monday that the militant group has shared the new US demand with their leadership and that internal discussions were underway, TOLO News reported.

The talks between the US and the Taliban were continuing, but with pauses, according to the sources. Echoing the sources, former Taliban member Maulana Jalaluddin Shinwari, said: “(US envoy Zalmay) Khalilzad has asked them (the Taliban) that there should be an agreement on a long-term reduction in violence. “The Taliban are consulting about this with their leaders. There are hopes that this will have a positive result.”

The new developments come as a group of Afghan politicians announced a “National Reconciliation Plan”, which they say will form a structure to represent the country in intra-Afghan dialogue. (IANS)

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