Pakistan hosts Taliban opposition meeting; new rift in Islamabad-Taliban relations.
Islamabad is hosting a group of political leaders, civil society activists and figures opposing the Taliban from Afghanistan. The two-day meeting, titled “Towards Unity and Trust,” is being held at the initiative of a Pakistani academic institution.
Sources say the meeting includes figures such as Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Mustafa Mastoor, Fawzia Kofi and Hussain Yassa. The Taliban have opposed it, but organizers say the meeting is a “scientific initiative for peace.”
The gathering is the first public gathering of Taliban opponents in Pakistan since the group returned to power, and some observers see it as a sign of a possible shift in Islamabad’s approach to Afghanistan.
Former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad called Pakistan’s move “irresponsible,” while Fawzia Kofi called it a positive step toward building trust and restoring women’s rights.
