Ahead of QCG meeting, Zakhilwal seeks action against Taliban

KABUL (Pajhwok): A senior Afghan diplomat has urged the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), which is due to meet this week, to declare the Taliban “irreconcilable”after their refusal to enter peace talks with Kabul.

Afghanistan’s ambassador to PakistanOmar Zakhilwal issued the call during an interview with Xinhua news agency ahead of the four-nation group’s meeting in Islamabad on May 18 to discuss ways of restarting the peace talks.

Since the Taliban’s public rejection of QCG’s callfor the resumption of peace negotiations, it will be the first meeting of the group. It last met in Kabul in February and invited the insurgents to join the process by the first week of March.

The QCG involving Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States had agreed on military action against the militants refusing to come to the negotiating table. The military action is the second option in the roadmap evolved by the group.

“Now that the Taliban have publicly refused to join talks and opted for more violence, the second scenario is applicable,” Zakhilwal commented, pushing for action against the Taliban.

PAN Monitor/mud