A senior Pakistani military official travelled to Kabul on Thursday to tell Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that formal talks with the Afghan Taliban could begin in the coming weeks.
Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif, reportedly delivered the message to Mr Ghani and signalled Pakistan's support for such a move.
"[The Afghan Taliban] have expressed their willingness and there will be progress in March. But these things are not so quick and easy," an anonymous Pakistani official told Reuters. "But there are very clear signals ... and we have communicated it to the Afghans," the official added. "Now many things are with the Afghans and they are serious."
Reuters also reported a senior member of the Afghan Taliban telling them that a first round of talks with the United states was scheduled to be held in Qatar on Thursday.
However the US and the Taliban have both denied this.
“The United States currently has no meetings with the Taliban scheduled in Doha,” US National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, “We do not have any plans for negotiations with anyone in Qatar. Regarding the negotiations, there is no new changes in the policy of Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan.”
Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif, reportedly delivered the message to Mr Ghani and signalled Pakistan's support for such a move.
"[The Afghan Taliban] have expressed their willingness and there will be progress in March. But these things are not so quick and easy," an anonymous Pakistani official told Reuters. "But there are very clear signals ... and we have communicated it to the Afghans," the official added. "Now many things are with the Afghans and they are serious."
Reuters also reported a senior member of the Afghan Taliban telling them that a first round of talks with the United states was scheduled to be held in Qatar on Thursday.
However the US and the Taliban have both denied this.
“The United States currently has no meetings with the Taliban scheduled in Doha,” US National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, “We do not have any plans for negotiations with anyone in Qatar. Regarding the negotiations, there is no new changes in the policy of Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan.”
"We remain supportive of an Afghan-led reconciliation process whereby the Taliban and the Afghans engage in talks toward a settlement to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan," added Ms Meehan.