Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said Pakistan has not been able to provide a comprehensive ceasefire in Afghanistan, adding his country has a perennial problem with Pakistan as they continue to provide sanctuary to the Taliban insurgents in Pakistan.

“I have a very positive discussion with Prime Minister Imran Khan. But his latest message after his meeting with the Taliban leaders was that he would not be able to secure a comprehensive ceasefire; they aren’t listening,” Ghani said. 

Ghani’s comment came in an interview to CNN, hours after US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad departed from Afghanistan. Significantly, no meeting took place this time between President Ghani and Khalilzad. Reports say Ghani refused to meet Khalilzad allegedly due to differences over the formation of an interim government. 

In the interview, Ghani said, “My basic goal is to be able to hand (over) the power, through the will of the people, to my elected successor...We aren’t a society where the Taliban’s approach of the past can be imposed on us.”

During his trip, Khalilzad met Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation., and former President Hamid Karzai. He also had meetings with Ghani’s close confident Hanif Atmer, NSA Hamidullah Mohib. 

As the Taliban and the Afghan government entered into the second phase of the Intra-Afghan talks, the prospect of the formation of an interim government is looming large. The idea is to secure a ceasefire from the Taliban in doing so. 

Interestingly, the Taliban seems very conscious about its messaging on the issue. The group hasn’t yet raised a demand for the interim government. What concessions they would offer in the exchange remains to be seen.

Moreover, reports indicate there is also no consensus on the issue within the ranks of the Taliban. Such an idea would surely face a push back from the Taliban’s powerful military command which seems confident of securing a military victory against the Afghan government. 

Unlike the Afghan government, where differences over the interim government are out in the open, the insurgent group has kept its differences a closely guarded secret.