Khalilzad briefs Ghani on peace efforts – Newspaper

KABUL: Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy who led the Taliban talks until negotiations collapsed last month, was in Kabul on Sunday meeting with senior Afghan officials, including President Ashraf Ghani.

His visit comes amid speculation that the United States is trying to restart efforts to end the longest war in the United States, after President Donald Trump declared last month "dead" talks.

Explainer: how Trump altered the peace talks between the United States and the Taliban

Khalilzad's arrival in the Afghan capital coincided with the announcement that the preliminary results of the recent presidential elections would be delayed for almost a month, a long postponement that probably fuels political uncertainty and accusations of fraud.

"Jalilzad met with the president and informed him about his recent activities," said Ghani spokesman Sediq Seddiqi. "Their views and the position of the Afghan government for peace were discussed."

"The purpose of his visit is clear, to inform President Ghani about his recent visits and meetings in some countries about the Afghan peace process," said an official from the Ghani office. An Afghan politician confirmed that Jalilzad was in Kabul.

Sayed Hamid Gailani, leader of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan, posted on his Twitter account that he had met with Khalilzad and his team to discuss the country's presidential elections and peace efforts.

The US embassy in Kabul rejected requests for comment, but authorities said Khalilzad could stop in Pakistan, which he also visited earlier this month and met informally with Taliban representatives.

Before that visit, an important Taliban source in Pakistan said the group had not "backed off" the talks, suggesting that the ball was in the US court on how things would proceed.

Experts say the United States may want to resume its search to get troops out of Afghanistan, but first it wants to see some type of Taliban concession, such as a reduction in violence.

Ghani, whose government was suspended from negotiations, strongly criticized the draft agreement that is believed to be about to be completed after a year of negotiations.

Afghans went to the polls for a first-round vote on September 28, and the initial results were supposed to have been published on October 19. But more than a week after saying that the Independent Electoral Commission would not meet that deadline, said the president of the commission, Hawa Alam Nuristani. The results will not be released until November 14.

Published on Dawn, October 28, 2019