Daily Times

Afghan officials say a 6-member government delegation was sent to Qatar on Thursday for first meeting with the Taliban on agenda for the negotiations, state media reported.

Afghanistan national television reported that Taliban had suggested to the Afghan government to send a delegation to hold discussion on the agenda for the intra-Afghan dialogue. “This is not a negotiation team,” according to the report.

Salim Shah Ibrahimi technical deputy of the National Security Council office, is leading the delegation of senior officials from the ministry of justice, ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of Hajj and Auqaf.

However, The Taliban dismissed the reports as false. “This reports are not true,” Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Daily Times late Thursday when a query was posted on his WhatsApp.

Taliban had previously rejected talks with the government and said the government will be part of the intra-Afghan talks. But it will be a major change in the Taliban approach if they meet the Afghan govt delegation ahead of the intra-Afghan dialogue.

Formal intra-Afghan negotiations were scheduled to start within 10 days after signing of the peace agreement between the Taliban and the United States on Feb. 29. Delegates for signing of the historic peace agreement started arriving in Qatar on Thursday. A large number of media persons will also witness signing of the deal. Foreign Minister Qureshi will be representing Pakistan at the Peace Agreement signing ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Qatari government could not issue visas to nearly 50 Taliban leaders and senior officials until Thursday who were invited to attend the event, a Taliban leader told Daily Times. He said the Taliban deputy chiefs Siraj ud Din Haqqani and Mullah Yaqoob had nominated 25 members each.

“They were ready to proceed to Qatar but are waiting for visas,” he said.

The Taliban political office head Abdul Ghani Baradar had succeeded to secure visas for his 10-member team, who have already proceeded to Qatar.

As the Taliban and the US are set to ink the agreement, Washington will assure support to Afghan leaders in the post-invasion Afghanistan.

Sources in Kabul say that the US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is likely to represent Trump administration in the signing ceremony and several senior officials visit Afghanistan on Saturday.

In Islamabad the Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui welcomed the peace agreement and hoped that it would pave the way towards intra Afghan dialogue and to enduring peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the region.

“We hope all Afghan parties would seize this historic opportunity and steer the Afghan nation towards peace and prosperity,” she said at weekly briefing.

“In my opening remarks, I had stated that this historic opportunity should be seized by all Afghan parties; to steer the Afghan nation towards lasting peace, stability and prosperity. They have seen enough war and conflict,” she said.

Meanwhile , BBC quoted Farooqui as saying that draft of the Afghan peace agreement has not been shown to Pakistan. She said the peace deal is between the US and the Taliban about Afghanistan’s internal matter.