Islamabad (TIP): A high-level Afghan-Taliban delegation arrived here on Wednesday to hold talks with the top Pakistani leadership as part of efforts to push forward the reconciliation process amid growing incidents of violence in Afghanistan The Taliban Political Commission (TPC), headed by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is on a December 16-18 visit to Pakistan, according to the Foreign Office (FO).

“During the visit, the delegation will meet the Foreign Minister and call on the Prime Minister,” the FO said.

The visit comes after a delegation, led by US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, on Monday met Pakistan’s Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and discussed with him the ongoing Afghan peace process.

AP reported that Baradar and his delegation were summoned to Islamabad from Qatar, where they have been negotiating since September with Afghan government representatives, officials close to the talks said. According to a report in The Express Tribune, the delegation will discuss issues of mutual interest, in particular, problems of refugees, relaxation and facilitation of Afghan’s movement to Pakistan, as well as issues faced by Afghan traders.

The visit of the TPC delegation is part of Pakistan’s policy to reach out to key Afghan parties in the peace process with a view to facilitating the Intra-Afghan Negotiations that commenced in Doha on September 12, 2020. It is the second visit of the TPC delegation this year after it visited Pakistan in August. — PTI