Afghan officials held secret Peace talks with Top Taliban leader in Pakistan.

Ihsan Dawar

Top Afghan officials have met key Taliban leader in Pakistan, and second in command in the former Taliban regime of Afghanistan, Mullah Abdul Ghani Brother(Baradar in persian), who is in detention of Pakistani security agencies since 2010 when he was arrested from Karachi.

It has been confirmed by both the countries high ups that Rangin Spanta, the national security adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a key figure of peace-building efforts, had met Mullah Baradar with a delegation of Afghan high ups so as to know his views about peace talks with the Afghan Government.

On the other hand interior minister of Pakistan Rehman Malik have admitted that their government has granted access to Afghan Delegation to meet Baradar some two months back.

"They had access at the required and appropriate level," Malik said. "We are fully cooperating with Afghanistan and whatever they are asking for the peace process, for developing peace in Afghanistan. We are giving every kind of help."

The information came at a time when Pakistan has shown willingness to release Baradar which the analysts say is a sign of goodwill and the interest of Pakistan to broker the peace talks through baradar.

Afghan officials hope Baradar could play a key role in any negotiations to end the Afghan conflict, acting as a go-between with senior Taliban leaders including the movement's reclusive leader and former Ameer Ul Momeneen (chief of the believers), Mullah Mohammed Omar.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed last month to resume regular talks on Afghanistan's peace process, with the new Pakistani prime minister promising to help arrange meetings between Afghan and Taliban representatives.

According to the local experts of Afghan affairs, it seems that the Talks will hold a sound footing as a result of the fresh improvement in the relations of Pakistan and US.

Earlier it was believed not only by Afghan government rather US too, that Pakistan was reluctant in arranging peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government.

Pakistan is considered to be the key player in the Afghan issue and has a lot of influence in the top Taliban circles.

Now, in the new development of the talks between Afghan delegation and Baradar, it seems that the process will be more facilitated by Pakistan if the relations of US and Pakistan are stabilized on sound basis.

(ihsan_dawar@yahoo.com)