KABUL - The Afghan government has had no secret meetings with the Taliban so far, President Ashraf Ghani's spokesman says, rejecting such reports as baseless.

Stressing the need for improved relations with Pakistan, Ajmal Obaid Abidi told TOLOnews that initially, Kabul needed to make peace with Islamabad.

He said there was an unannounced hostility between the two neighbors, and emphasized on a clear definition of the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"So far, the Afghan government has not conducted any meeting with the Taliban. Once the peace process is started, the people will become aware about it. And all the rumors about secret meetings are untrue," Abidi said.

While the people are hoping peace with the Taliban, Ghani's spokesman emphasized that the Afghan government sought peace with Pakistan.

"The fundamental issue is that first we want to make peace with Pakistan. The relation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as defined by the president, is an announced hostility," Abidi said.

Meanwhile, the second deputy chief executive Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq told TOLOnews that he was not even aware of the peace process.

He expressed that all the steps regarding peace process were only being taken by President Ghani, the National Security Council and the High Peace Council.

"I have no information about the peace process and also about the visits to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia," Mohaqiq said. "These all are between the president, the national security council and the high peace council. I hope we achieve a specific result."

The peace process, however, was about to begin in the initial days of March as announced by the government. But so far, no sign of progress has been seen in this respect.

The issue of peace deal with the Taliban got more attentions following several trips of Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif to Kabul.

Pakistan's government has promised to the government of Afghanistan that it will bring the Taliban leaders to the negotiation table.

Since then, Ghani began consultations with the former Jihadi leaders, religious scholars and civil society groups on peace deals with the Taliban.

Ghani has assured that he would not put the past achievements on the table. (Tolonews)