Reports by Pakistani media indicate that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that his government has facilitated a meeting between US and Taliban officials on Afghan peace and that the talks will be held in the near future.

The reports say that Khan, who addressed an event in Peshawar city on Friday, said the meeting will take place on Monday. 

Media reports indicate that the meeting will take place either in Pakistan or in the United Arab Emirates. 

Sources from Afghanistan political parties said the meeting will take place between the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and a number of Taliban officials. The sources added that Afghanistan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib will also appear in the meeting. 

“In his second trip, Khalilzad visited Moscow, NATO headquarters and neighboring countries and now he has a meeting with the Taliban,” Mohammad Ismail Khan, a senior member of Jamiat-e-Islami, told TOLOnews.

“Then, he (Khalilizad) will soon return to Afghanistan and will share his consultations with the Afghan government and the people,” he added.  

The US Embassy in Kabul did not comment on this meeting, but a spokesperson of the embassy told TOLOnews that Khalilzad has met with all those who areinvolved in Afghanistan’s peace issue including Taliban and will continue his meetings to reach a political agreement for ending Afghanistan crisis. The spokesperson also said that US welcomes any move by Pakistan for the Afghan peace process.

The Presidential Palace also did not comment on this possible meeting between US and Taliban officials.

Meanwhile, the political committee of political parties said they have appointed their negotiating team with the Taliban and that they will announce the names in the near future. 

Mohammad Natiqi, head of the political committee, said their negotiating team will hold public negotiations with the Taliban. 

“The parties will have united moves regarding all issues including elections, reconciliation and presidential elections,” said Natiqi. 

“The political committee of the parties has decided to hold a press conference in the near future to express the political parties’ joint stance about the three issues which are peace, the presidential elections and the parliamentary elections,” said Humanyun Jarir, a Hizb-e-Islami member. 

This comes as Zalmay Khalilzad visited Afghanistan, Pakistan, Moscow and other countries in the region to discuss the Afghan peace during his second multi-nation trip.

On Thursday, he met with NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg where the NATO chief insisted on an Afghan-lead peace process.