U.S., Taliban to hold first talks since Afghanistan withdrawal
The Hindu
Americans also intend to press the Taliban to observe the rights of women and girls, many of whom the Taliban are reportedly blocking from returning to jobs and classrooms, and of Afghans at large
Senior Taliban officials and U.S. representatives are to hold talks on October 9 and 10 about containing extremist groups in Afghanistan and easing the evacuation of foreign citizens and Afghans from the country, officials from both sides said.
It's the first such meeting since U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan in late August, ending a 20-year military presence there, and the Taliban's rise to power in the nation. The talks are to take place in Doha, the capital of the Persian Gulf state of Qatar.
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, who is based in Doha, told The Associated Press on October 9 that the talks will also revisit the peace agreement the Taliban signed with Washington in 2020. The agreement had paved the way for the .