Faltering peace process: Ghani renews talks offer to unamenable Taliban

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has renewed the dialogue offer to the Taliban, as well as Gulbudin Hekmatyar-led Hizb-e-Islami (HeI), which says it has yet to receive a formal invitation to scheduled direct talks in Islamabad.

Ghani’s reiteration of the talks offer came a day after the Afghan Taliban rejected what they called ‘futile, misleading negotiations’. The Afghan leader urged insurgent groups to come to the negotiating table during his speech to a post-winter break opening session of parliament on Sunday.