ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan made its first public appeal today for the Taliban to participate in peace talks with the Afghan government, a potentially significant move given Islamabad’s perceived influence over the militants.
The Pakistani prime minister’s call will be welcomed by Afghanistan and the United States, which have long demanded Islamabad push Taliban leaders believed to be based on its soil, including chief Mullah Omar, to the negotiating table.
But it’s unclear just how much sway Pakistan has over the militants and what steps the country’s shadowy intelligence agency, which is closest to the Taliban, is prepared to take to move the peace process forward.
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