The group reportedly made the complete withdrawal of foreign forces a condition for further peace talks during the meeting on Tuesday.
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But Taliban representatives at the meeting said they had the mandate of the insurgent group’s Pakistan-based leadership.
Officials said that Isil had seized control of a few areas in Afghanistan close to the Pakistani border after evicting TTA fighters.
In the past, both the Afghan government and the Taliban have been wary of using Pakistan as a go-between for discussions.
“[The Secretary-General] reiterates his support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process”.
It is the first time Kabul has publicly acknowledged that someone as senior as a government minister was talking directly to the Taliban – though some earlier meetings were shrouded in secrecy, so it was not entirely clear who took part.
“Some significant successes in ongoing military operation in [Pakistani] tribal areas have left the talks argument behind”.
Reported by Afghan media, Shahidullah Shahid had joined ISIS and was killed in a missile strike along with 52 other ISIS militants.
The three-paragraph statement did not directly mention talks in Pakistan but Taliban officials privately told The Express Tribune that it was issued in the context of the Murree meeting.
“As both Afghan government and Taliban agreed to continue talks, more time will be needed for them to reach an agreement regarding the ceasefire, and that the ceasefire would definitely be discussed in the upcoming second round of talks”, Jawid said.
KABUL: Maulvi Shahidullah Shahid, a former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman and the first to pledge allegiance to Daesh in Afghanistan, was killed along with 25 others in a drone strike in eastern Nangarhar, said the Afghan intelligence agency on Thursday.
President Ghani appreciated the efforts and role of Pakistan in facilitating peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and expressed the hope that this would lead to lasting peace and stability in the country.
“Islamabad can bring Mullah Omar on peace talks table as he is in their custody, otherwise it will not have fruitful results”, he claimed.
Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah didn’t say whether the next round of talks will be held in Pakistan or elsewhere.
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After more than 13 years of conflict, the stakes are high.
