Amid Taliban attacks, Khalilzad to begin 7th round of peace talks on June 29

Amid sustained Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, US Special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad will start the seventh round of peace talks on June 29.

He did not disclose the venue of the meeting.

"We'll start the next round of talks on Jun 29. Based on my recent visits to #Afghanistan and #Qatar, I believe all sides want rapid progress," tweeted Khalilzad on Saturday.

For long, Khalilzad has been trying to reach a peace deal with the Taliban to end the war in Afghanistan that has entered its 19th year.

The envoy also held a series of meetings with the Pakistani leadership as a part of Washington's renewed push to bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table.

The latest push for peace comes after President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking Pakistan's help for the negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict, Express Tribune reported.

Recently, in response to the Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada's annual message on Eid, Khalilzad had said that the statement provides "a desire to participate in dialogue with other Afghans and in a final political settlement that will require power sharing."

On Saturday, the Taliban leader stressed on his previous stance about an end to the presence of the US military in Afghanistan and said the group is open for talks but they expect "honesty" from the United States.

The statement read, "He will work to build international support for the Afghan peace process and endeavour to ensure that any peace settlement reached will be sustainable.