Taliban May Halt Talks With US If No Progress On Troop Pullout Timeline Reached - Source

The Taliban may suspend peace talks with the United States if the upcoming meeting in Doha fails to produce progress on the time frame for US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, a source close to the movement told Sputnik

KABUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2019) The Taliban may suspend peace talks with the United States if the upcoming meeting in Doha fails to produce progress on the time frame for US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, a source close to the movement told Sputnik.

"We can say the Taliban are discussing two things: troop withdrawal and a guarantee that the [Afghan] soil will not be used [by terrorists] against other countries in future. They [the Taliban] may halt the talks if no breakthrough reached on the timeline of troop withdrawal," a former Taliban official said on conditions of anonymity.

The comment comes as the Taliban and US delegation are expected to start another crucial round of peace talks in Qatar on Saturday, as confirmed by US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad.

Khalilzad has repeatedly denied that the agenda of the talks is limited to two topics, saying that Washington seeks a comprehensive deal that will also include a permanent ceasefire and intra-Afghan talks leading to a political settlement. The Taliban, in turn, have insisted that they are not discussing intra-Afghan talks and a ceasefire with the United States.