Daily Times

Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtani, senior Qatari official dealing with the Afghan peace process, is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Thursday for talks with Pakistani officials on ways to push the fragile peace process, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.

In another development Iran hosted political envoys of the Taliban and Afghan government officials in Tehran in an attempt to end the stalemate in the intra-Afghan negotiations.

Iranian official IRNA news agency reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the Taliban and Kabul’s representatives that returning to intra-Afghan negotiating table will be the best choice of leaders and political parties in Afghanistan. He urged Afghan leaders and people of Afghanistan to make hard decisions for their future.

Addressing the Intra-Afghan talks meeting which was hosted in Tehran, Zarif alluded to US defeat in Afghanistan and its presence in the country for over two decades which resulted in damage, saying today people and leaders of Afghanistan should make decisions on the future of their country.

Referring to unpleasant results of the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan, Zarif said that returning to intra-Afghan negotiating table and commitment to a political solution will be the best choice of Afghan leaders and political groups.

Zarif stressed that Iran is ready to help the negotiation process between Afghan parties to solve disputes and crises in Afghanistan.

He also reiterated Iran’s commitment to foster political, economic, and social development of Afghanistan after establishing peace.

The Afghan delegation is headed by Yunus Qanuni, former foreign minister of Afghanistan and Taliban’s delegation is headed by deputy head of Taliban’s political office Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai.

The Director-general of West Asia in Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Tehran hosted four delegations from Afghanistan who have traveled to the country to discuss bilateral ties.

Tehran is hosting four Afghan delegations: Cultural Commission delegation from Afghan Parliament, Senior Taliban political delegation, Jomhouriyyat senior political delegation, and the senior delegation

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said a high-ranking delegation of the Taliban will “exchange views with relevant authorities of the Islamic Republic on a couple of issues of mutual interests and will also have a sitting for brainstorming with some Afghan personalities.”

Sheen wrote on Twitter that the Taliban members will touch on the current situation of the country and exchange views on a peaceful solution of the issue through talks.

Qahtani was in Afghan capital Kabul over the past few days where he held talks with Afghan leaders and diplomats on his country’s role in the peace process. Qatar has hosted the Taliban political headquarters since 2013.

The Qatari envoy visits the region as concerns grow in the region over rise in fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan government forces and lack of progress in the negotiations since its start in September.

Taliban on Wednesday claimed entering the provincial capital of northwestern province of Badghis after taking control of all districts in the province that borders Turkmenistan.

Reports quoted the Badghis governor Hesamuddin Shams as saying that the security forces have pushed the Taliban fighters out of the capital city “Qila e Now”.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said senior officials of Badghis province switched sides and surrendered to the Taliban.

BBC Pashto reported that the Taliban and the government forces fought in the city and the first vice-president Amrullah Saleh wrote on his official Facebook page claimed killing Taliban fighters in the city. The Taliban have not commented on the claims.

Qahtani, who is the Special Envoy of the Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar, is expected to hold talks with Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq and also meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, sources said.

The Qatari envoy last visited Islamabad in February and Arab diplomatic sources familiar with the previous discussions said Qahtani had told Pakistani side that the Taliban are “going in the wrong direction.”