Taliban talks in Pak were about hostages: Afghanistan

The current undergoing talks between a Taliban delegation and Pakistani authorities in Islamabad are about the two hostages identified as American Kevin King and Australian Timothy John Weekes, not peace talks.

Kabul: The Afghan government said that talks in Islamabad between a Taliban delegation and Pakistani authorities were about the release of two hostages and not on the resumption of the peace process.

"As much we are officially aware, the peace talks are stopped, and have not been started yet," deputy foreign minister Idrees Zaman told.

"The current undergoing talks in Islamabad are about the two hostages identified as American Kevin King and Australian Timothy John Weekes," added Zaman.

Though Zaman did not give details about the hostages, it seemed a likely reference to the professors from the American University of Afghanistan who were kidnapped in Kabul in August 2016.

The visit of the Taliban delegation to Islamabad coincided with a visit to the Pakistani capital of US special representative for Afghan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad.

Peace was a priority for the Afghan government but before the beginning of the talks, the Taliban should put an end to the violence, Zalmay cited.

Reportedly, the Taliban and the US held nine rounds of negotiations in Doha, talks in which a draft agreement had been reached.

However, US President Donald Trump abruptly canceled the talks last month after an attack in Kabul in which an American soldier was killed.