This story is from January 15, 2019

Pakistan arrests Taliban leader ahead of US envoy visit

Pakistan arrests Taliban leader ahead of US envoy visit
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has arrested a senior leader of Afghan Taliban from the northwestern city of Peshawar, apparently in an attempt to pressurize the militants to show some flexibility in their stance during peace talks with the US.
The detained leader, Hafiz Mohibullah was minister for religious affairs during the Taliban rule in Afghanistan before 2001. Taliban sources revealed that Mohibullah had been living in Peshawar for several years.
The arrest came ahead of the visit of Zalmay Khalilzad, US special representative for reconciliation in Afghanistan, to Pakistan on Tuesday.
Since Washington started negotiations with the Afghan militants, Khalilzad has held a series of meetings with the Taliban’s political office in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Two high-ranking anonymous Taliban figures were quoted by media on Tuesday as saying that the former minister had been arrested to put pressure on the group into meeting Khalilzad in Pakistan and also to get them ready for talks with representatives of the Afghan President.
Knowing Islamabad’s proximity with the militants, the US wants Pakistan to play a role in influencing the Taliban to agree for a settlement to end the 17-year conflict in the war-torn country. During the last negotiations between Khalilzad-led US team and Taliban in Abu Dhabi in December, Pakistani, Saudi and UAE representatives were also present. A team of Afghan government officials had also reached the Gulf state but the Taliban had refused to meet them. According to sources, both Pakistan and Saudi officials tried to persuade Taliban leaders to hold a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s delegation, but they were not even ready to shake hands with them or pray alongside.

One of the group’s leaders reportedly said that a meeting was recently held between militant leaders and Pakistani officials on the upcoming peace talks but it could conclude on a positive note. Following the meeting, Pakistani authorities raided a number of houses and arrested Mohibullah.
Taliban sources said that both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been trying to convince the militants to change their stance towards the Afghan government. In the past, Taliban officials had said that they will only begin talks with the Afghan government once a final date for the withdrawal of American troops from the country is announced.
The militant group, however, further toughened its stance after the US President Donald Trump announced withdrawal of half of his country’s troops from Afghanistan. Given the frustration of US president over the lack of progress in the Afghan conflict, Taliban considers it as their psychological victory. They believe that the group is currently in a much stronger position to negotiate with Washington than ever before.
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