US, Taliban negotiating early completion of pullout operation

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Taliban and the United States are negotiating a new deadline for completing the Afghanistan withdrawal operation, reports a private TV channel.

In line with President Joe Biden’s announcement, all US troops will exit Afghanistan by September 11 this year. The process formally began on May 1.

However, the Taliban have rejected the timeline as a breach of last year’s Doha peace pact with the Trump administration.  The deal had envisaged the May deadline for the US military pullout.

On Monday, TOLOnews reported the Taliban and the Biden administration were discussing the possibility of completing the withdrawal process by July.

“The Taliban will return to peace talks, attend the Turkey conference and reduce violence if there is an agreement on the matter,” the channel said, citing unnamed sources.

US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Kabul on Monday for talks with Afghan leaders on the peace process and the upcoming Istanbul conference.

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