UN envoy meets Afghan militant group

KABUL - UN envoy Staffan de Mistura Thursday met the representatives of Afghan warlord Gulbudin Hekmatyar’s Hizb-e-Islami party in a bid to broker talks between the Islamic group and the government, Xinhua reported.

“The special representative of the secretary-general (Ban Ki-moon) met today (Thursday) the Hezb-e-Islami delegation, in accordance with the UN mandate and in consultation with Afghan President Hamid Karzai,” the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said here in a statement.

The meeting was part of the UN efforts to bring stability to this war-torn country, the statement noted. The UN would always assist Afghan people for pursuing constructive political dialogue, it added. The delegation already met Karzai to present its peace plan.