India to attend Afghanistan peace deal signing between US-Taliban in Doha

Amid speculations of India's role in Afghanistan peace deal, emerging developments have claimed that India's Ambassor to Qatar Kumaran will attend signing of landmark deal between US and Afghan Taliban in Doha on Saturday, official sources informed PTI on Thursday. deal with le withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, who inved country 18-years-back citing war on terror. 

PTI sources tified that an invitation was extended by Qatar government for ceremony wherein deal will signed. This is first time, since inception of peace deal, that India has been officially a part of process involving Taliban. India has been a key stakeholder in peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

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In a significant move, India h sent two former diplomats in "n-official" capacity to a conference on Afghan peace process in Moscow in vember 2018. conference organised by Russia was attended by a high-level Taliban delegation, representatives of Afghanistan as well as from several or countries, including US, Pakistan, and China. This came right after US President abruptly h called it a "de deal."

Major powers such as US, Russia, and Iran h been reaching out to Taliban as part of efforts to push stalled Afghan peace process. India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled. India has also been maintaining that care should be taken to ensure that any such process does t le to any "ungoverned s" where terrorists and ir proxies can relocate.

Modi-Trump discuss peace deal

Donald Trump, during his two-day visit to India, tified that he h a conversation with PM Modi on Afghan Taliban peace deal, ding that everyone was "happy" about it. "I spoke to PM Modi on it. I think India would like to see it happen. We are pretty close. Everybody is happy about it," said Trump during a press conference.

US President on Monday said that Taliban is “tired of fighting” and hopes to reach a deal. Trump also said that he would sign peace truce if one is eventually reached in Afghanistan. US President's comments came after a partial implication of deal took effect on February 22 with Taliban, US, and Afghan forces agreed for a week-long “reduction in violence."

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(with PTI inputs)