ISLAMABAD, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's top envoy to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal said his government is open to unconditional peace negotiations with the Taliban insurgents.
"We are in contact with the Qatar office and also a number of influential individual Taliban leaders and commanders but there are no formal negotiations," the Afghan ambassador told Xinhua in Islamabad on Monday.
The remarks came after foreign and Afghan media reported senior Afghan officials had met the Taliban political representatives in Qatar.
The Afghan government and the Taliban had not officially commented the reports.
"Taliban could bring any proposal to the negotiating table but we have ruled out preconditions for talks," Zakhilwal said when asked about the Taliban's certain conditions ahead of the talks.
Taliban negotiators have publicly called for reopening of their political office in Qatar, lifting of UN sanctions on their senior leaders and release of prisoners.
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