The High Peace Council (HPC) on Saturday hoped the presence of the United States and China in the Afghan peace talks would yield possible results. The body's acting chairman, Abdul Hakim Mujahid, said the second phase of peace talks would be different from the first round held in July last year, adding that the US and China would play a greater role in the next negotiations.
He hoped Washington and Beijing would continue playing their part in future negotiations with the Taliban. According to Mujahid, the quadrilateral meeting slated for January 16 in Islamabad would help press Pakistan to play an honest role in the Afghan conflict's resolution process.
He, however, said every stakeholder's sincerity was vital for result-orientated parleys. A delegation of the Afghan government held face-to-face talks with Taliban representatives for the first time in Murree, in July. Pakistan hosted the talks while Chinese and US representatives attended the talks as observers. Members of the Haqqani network were also present in the July talks but a second round of the dialogue was suspended after revelation that Taliban's leader Mullah Omar had been dead and his death was concealed.