ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Office has confirmed that the second round of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban has been postponed after the reports surfaced about the death of Taliban Supreme Command Mullah Muhammad Omar.
“In view of the reports regarding the death of Mullah Omar and the resulting uncertainty, and at the request of the Afghan Taliban leadership, the second round of the Afghan peace talks is being postponed,” the Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said in a statement in Islamabad on Thursday.
The next round of talks were scheduled to be held in the hill resort of Murree near Islamabad on July 31 (tomorrow) to exchange views on ways and means to bring peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
The statement comes after the Afghan Taliban Shura as well as the Afghan Presidential Palace in their separate statements confirmed the death of one-eyed Mullah Omar.
“The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, based on credible information, confirms that Mullah Muhammad Omar, leader of the Taliban died in April 2013 in Pakistan,” the Afghan Presidential Palace said in its statement.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Taliban Shura has appointed Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansoor as the new Taliban Chief.
Pakistan also hosted the first round of talks between the Afghan government and Taliban in Murree on July 7 at which the representatives from the United States and China also participated as observers.
“Pakistan and other friendly countries of Afghanistan hope that the Taliban leadership will stay engaged in the process of peace talks in order to promote a lasting peace in Afghanistan,” Qazi Khalilullah said.
“It is further hoped that those forces, which due to their malafide intent wanted to undermine the peace talks, will not succeed in their designs,” he added.
Earlier at his weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday morning, Qazi Khalilullah said that Pakistan will facilitate the second round of talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban.
“Pakistan remains committed to supporting and facilitating an Afghan led and Afghan owned reconciliation process,” he said.
The spokesman said that peace in Afghanistan is not only in the interest of Afghan people but also the people of Pakistan.
