India should talk to Taliban if it feels it will help peace process, Pakistani Ambassador

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States said that India should talk to Taliban militants if it feels negotiations will help the peace process.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Asad Khan said, “It is for India to respond to that suggestion,”

Asad Khan was asked if he was willing for an Indian dialogue with the Taliban. He said, “If India feels that their engagement is going to help the peace process, then we would defer to their judgment. But it’s not for us to sit in judgment on what they should do or they shouldn’t do.”

This comes after Afghan-American diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad had earlier given an interview to an Indian Newspaper. He said that it would be feasible for an India-Taliban engagement. Khalilzad had said, “India is an important force in Afghanistan and it would be appropriate for that [India-Taliban] engagement to take place,”

He added, “India and Afghanistan have historic ties, and I believe that dialogue between India and the Taliban is important, and it would be important that issues of concern like this [terrorism] are raised directly,”

Taliban releases 20 government prisoners on Sunday

The Taliban has set free 20 government prisoners on Sunday.

The Taliban had sent photos to the international news sources and said that they were submitted to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Kandahar province.

The office of the National Security Council informed that the news had come out Afghan government had released a third group of 100 prisoners.