First meeting of Quadrilateral Coordination Group held in Islamabad

But a splinter group headed by Mullah Mohammad Rasool Akhund, which rejects Mansour’s authority, has dismissed any talks where a mediating role is played by Pakistan, which observers say holds significant sway among Taliban commanders holed up near its border with Afghanistan, or the United States or China.

Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan valued its brotherly and neighbourly relations with Afghanistan.

Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz will also address the opening session of meeting.

“There is also the emergence of ISIL [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group] in eastern Afghanistan, which is fighting the Taliban”.

It is uncertain whether the latest violence in Afghanistan is meant to disrupt talks or strengthen the Taliban’s negotiating hand, but government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said Kabul would not bow to pressure.

After six months of worsening fighting, with the province of Helmand slipping out of control and frequent suicide bombings in the capital, Afghanistan and its neighbors are trying to return to peace talks, albeit without the Taliban for now.

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Peace efforts stalled last year after the Taliban announced that their founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for two years, throwing the militant group into disarray.

Gul said last month’s trip by Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif, who travelled to Afghanistan unaccompanied by the country’s powerful ISI intelligence agency, long considered the force behind the Taliban, was a signal the military was ready to move away from past practices and center future policy decisions only at the army headquarters.

But the complexity of links between Pakistan and the Taliban are likely to make the reconciliation process trickier, and protracted. The Taliban called off its participation and a second meeting was canceled.

“Those who are interested in peace can join the dialogue, but those who wish to continue the fight will be targeted through joint counter-terrorism platforms”, Faisal said, referring to bilateral agreements.

This power struggle within the Taliban has raised questions about who would represent the armed group if and when the talks with the Afghan government restart.

The Taliban are not expected to attend the talks. But Islamabad had acted as liaison between Kabul and the Taliban leadership. Previous year the Taliban seized the northern city of Kunduz and held it for three days before being driven out by a costly counteroffensive.

USA officials have said a peace deal between the Taliban and Afghan government is the best way to end the conflict.

The discussion focused on undertaking a clear and realistic assessment of the opportunities for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, anticipated obstacles and measures that would help create conducive environment for peace talks with the shared goal of reducing violence and establishing lasting peace in Afghanistan.