KABUL - US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has held an informal meeting with Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Qatar's Doha, where the group's political office is based, a Pakistani newspaper reported on Monday.
Khalilzad paused renewed talks with the Taliban last month after the militants launched a suicide attack on a US base outside Kabul killing two civilians. Khalilzad expects a ceasefire from the Taliban.
There have been reports that the Taliban leadership has agreed to a temporary ceasefire, but the group rejected the reports saying their consultations were about reducing violence.
“Qatari officials had informed the Taliban that a meeting with Khalilzad will be held when he arrived in Qatar two days ago. Our representatives were ready for the meeting but Khalilzad refused on the plea that he has not received response to his proposal,” an unidentified Taliban official said as quoted by Pakistan’s Daily Times.
A Taliban source in Qatar told the paper there was a possibility that small Taliban-US committees could hold meetings to remove differences about the issue of reduction in violence. (1TV NEWS)