Afghan govt’s men meet Taliban leader in Pak jail

Afghan government representatives have held secret talks with a key member of the Taliban held in a Pakistani jail, an official said today — a move that could signal fresh hope for peace negotiations.

Afghan government representatives have held secret talks with a key member of the Taliban held in a Pakistani jail, an official said today — a move that could signal fresh hope for peace negotiations.

The representatives visited Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a powerful Taliban military chief who has been described as the insurgents’ second in command, and discussed peace talks with him, the Afghan official said.

Baradar, whose 2010 arrest in Pakistan was blamed for sabotaging peace initiatives, is the most important Taliban leader held in prison.

ISI and RAW to meet?

Pakistan and India are mulling a proposal for a meeting of the chiefs of their intelligence agencies as part of a series of confidence-building measures to build goodwill, according to a media report on Monday. The proposal is among “numerous mechanisms” being explored to reduce the trust deficit between the two neighbours.