Japan Invites Taliban for Peace TalksAfghan ambassador to Pakistan Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef said here Thursday that Japan has invited Afghanistan's Taliban militia for peace talks in Tokyo later this month or in May.Japanese ambassador to Pakistan Sadaka Numata met Zaeef in Islamabad and handed over a letter from the government of Japan addressed to Afghan Foreign Minister Maulvi Wakil Ahmed Mutawakil. The Japanese government has proposed to host talks between Taliban and the opposition Northern Alliance in Tokyo to find out a peaceful settlement of the long-standing Afghan conflict. The Japanese proposal has mentioned the role for the United Nations in the proposed peace talks, which many believe may not get positive response from Taliban as they have already boycotted any peace talks if the U.N. is involved. Taliban have withdrawn from the U.N.-sponsored peace talks since the Security Council slapped sanctions on Taliban in December last year after they refused to turn over Osama bin Laden for trial. |
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