Ahead of the fifth round of talks between Afghanistan, China, US and the Pakistan, which are aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan, negotiators are expected to consider the type of action that can be taken against the Taliban. In a dramatic departure, Omar Zakhilwal, the Afghan ambassador to US who is also heading the delegation, told Al-Jazeera: “The talks are no longer aimed at reviving negotiations with the Taliban.” He went on to say that although peace was the preferred option, the situation had moved beyond this and that negotiators would be considering other options. For its part, the Taliban rejected the implicit threat, with its spokesman responding with: “Our conditions are still the same. We demand the implementation of Islamic law in Afghanistan and the departure of all foreign forces.”
Ahead of the fifth round of talks between Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US, which are aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan, negotiators are expected to consider the type of action that can be taken against the Taliban. In a dramatic departure, Omar Zakhilwal, the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan who is also heading the delegation, told Al-Jazeera: “The talks are no longer aimed at reviving negotiations with the Taliban.” He went on to say that although peace was the preferred option, the situation had moved beyond this and that negotiators would be considering other options. For its part, the Taliban rejected the implicit threat, with its spokesman responding with: “Our conditions are still the same. We demand the implementation of Islamic law in Afghanistan and the departure of all foreign forces.”