Afghan officials met with their counterparts in Islamabad on Thursday to discuss the revival of suspended talks with the Taliban, which stalled following the announcement of the group’s founder Mullah Omar’s death last month.
Splits have emerged among the militants following the appointment of Mullah Akhtar Mansour, with some top leaders including Omar’s son and brother refusing to pledge their allegiance. The arrival of the delegation also comes at a spike in tensions between Kabul and Islamabad after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused Pakistan this week of sending “messages of war” and harbouring bomb-making camps following a series of deadly attacks in Kabul. A brief statement issued by the office of PM Nawaz Sharif said he had met with Afghan foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani to discuss matters of mutual interest.