Taliban denies discussing ceasefire with the U.S

  1. Taliban has denied that it has been discussing a ceasefire and reconciliation with the Afghanistan government during meeting with the US in Doha,Qatar.
  2. Taliban and US are currently focusing on four key issues that are going to decide any future agreement and the issues are (a)counterterrorism (b)troop withdrawal (c)intra-Afghan dialogue and (d)ceasefire.
  3. The two sides have agreed in principle on a framework for two crucial issues: (a)the withdrawal of American troops, and (b)commitment that Afghan soil would not again be used to launch terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies.One of the most prominent issue which is hampering progress is the disagreement over the definition of terrorism.
  4. Further, Taliban has refused to engage with Afghan government as it considers the Afghan government illegitimate.
  5. Indian Government have maintained that peace process should be Afghan led and Afghan owned and India will not engage with Taliban directly and would rather pursue bilateral ties through investing in development projects.