President Ghani’s Special Envoy and Secretary of High Peace Council Umar Daudzai says the U.S. officials had consulted with the Afghan government before initiating direct peace talks with the Taliban.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Pashto, Daudzai said the U.S. officials have held every round of talks with Taliban in coordination of the Afghan government leaders including President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.
 “Since last year, the U.S. officials have taken the permission to begin direct talks with the Taliban after consulting with the Afghan government and political leaders,” Daudzai said. “The Afghan officials and political leaders welcomed the U.S. move to begin face-to-face talks with the Taliban.”
Daudzai’s remarks come as he is in a four-day visit to Islamabad to seek Pakistan’s support in the Afghan peace process.
He met with Jamaat-i-Islami chief Siraj-ul-Haq in Islamabad on Thursday, where the Pakistani religious leader pledged to cooperate in the peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
Sayed Ehsan Tahiri, Spokesman of the HPC said that during the visit Pakistan has made new commitments regarding the Afghan reconciliation process.
“We have asked Pakistan, a country which is hosting the Afghan Taliban leadership, to play an important role by encouraging the Taliban to sit in the negotiating table with the Afghan government,” Tahiri said.