ISLAMABAD, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Top diplomats from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States are scheduled to meet in Islamabad on May 18 to discuss ways how to start the peace talks in Afghanistan, officials and diplomats said on Sunday.
This would be the first meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) since the Taliban have refused to take part in the direct talks with the Afghan government. The QCG in its last meeting in Kabul in February had invited the insurgents to join the process by the first week of March.
The meeting is seen very important as Afghanistan is now pushing for action against the Taliban as they are unwilling to come to the negotiation table and launched their annual Spring Offensive.
The Taliban huge suicide bombing in Kabul on April 19 that killed 64 people and injured nearly 350 has badly affected efforts for the peace negotiations. President Ashraf Ghani in his parliament speech on April 25th had prioritized war with the Taliban.
The Afghan government now wants the QCG to opt for action against the Taliban. However, Pakistan still insists on the political negotiations.
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