Pakistan PM Optimistic About US-Taliban Talks

While the Afghan government does not consider the Taliban's reduction in violence acceptable, the Pakistani prime minister told Deutsche Welle that US envoys would go to the ceasefire with the Taliban.
Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Imran Khan emphasizes that Islamabad is working to achieve positive results for the two sides to reach peace in Afghanistan.
“As far as I know they were heading towards a ceasefire and we hope that this happens,” Khan told DW.
Meanwhile, sources close to the Taliban say US consultations with the Taliban have succeeded in temporarily reducing the violence, but both sides have yet to come to an agreement on how to keep the level of violence low after a peace deal.
“There are hopes that the resolution between the Taliban representatives and the US will be signed in January 2020 and in case any new problems arise then it will be signed in February or March 2020,” said Jalaluddin Shinwari, the Afghan attorney general during the Taliban regime.
According to reports, the Taliban has submitted the reduction in violence plan to the US representatives, but Kabul says the plan is not clear and insists on securing a ceasefire.
“In districts and remote areas under the Taliban control where people suffered a lot of casualties, then it means nothing-- so that is why the reduction of violence must have a quantifiable level,” said Sima Sahar, State Minister for Human Rights.
As the US-Taliban peace deal is more likely to be signed than at any other time, US envoy Alice Wells has begun a four-day official visit to Pakistan Sunday and will speak about Afghanistan with Pakistani officials, VOA reported.
The report said that Wells' trip comes amid warming bilateral relations following meetings last year between President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.