Pakistan PM To Meet Qataris On Taliban Office

(Wall Street Journal) - Pakistan's prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, will travel Monday to Qatar for talks on the Taliban's plans to set up a representative office in the Gulf state, Pakistani officials said Saturday.

Taliban leaders said last month the insurgent movement plans to set up an office in Qatar, a US ally, as part of a fragile peace process.

The US is continuing to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan but also is tentatively exploring peace talks as a way to end the 11-year conflict, including a potential offer to release Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo.

Some US and Afghan officials believe Pakistan -- which sees Afghanistan as within its sphere of influence -- is attempting to derail peace efforts and continues to support some elements of the insurgency.

Pakistan denies this and complains the US and Afghanistan has kept it in the dark about plans to launch peace talks.

A spokesman for Gilani said he will travel to Qatar on Monday and return Wednesday. A Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman said the premier will discuss the Taliban's proposed representative office with Qatar's leaders, although the topic is not on a formal agenda.

The spokesman declined to comment on Afghan plans to take control of the peace talks by meeting Taliban representatives in Saudi Arabia.

The government of Afghan president Hamid Karzai also claims the US has failed to keep it informed about Qatar's involvement in the peace process. In December, Afghanistan recalled its ambassador from Qatar in protest.

Last month, Afghanistan officials said they would instead soon meet Taliban representatives in Saudi Arabia, which is a long-time ally of Pakistan.

The Taliban denied this and said it had agreed so far to meet only the US.

Read more: Wall Street Journal