Daily Times

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, leading a high level delegation arrived in Qatar Friday evening for talks with the Taliban on ways to push the fragile peace process, Afghan officials said.

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Daily Times that the Taliban will meet the Kabul’s delegation.

Dr Abdullah tweeted that during the delegation’s stay in the State of Qatar its members will talk and exchange views with the government’s negotiation Team in Doha, the Taliban and the host country.

Earlier on departure Abdullah told reporters at Kabul airport although the focus is on fighting, there are hopes for peace. He said the delegation has powers and is heading to Doha with a will to reach an agreement.

He said an inclusive and authoritative delegation will engage in meaningful peace and reconciliation talks with Taliban representatives.

Dr. Abdullah stressed that the consensus representing the government reflects the Afghan people’s aspirations and will not spare any opportunity to end the 43 year-old war and agony.

Pointing to the current level of conflict across the country, Dr. Abdullah said that no one side alone can bring peace.

The visit, which according to sources, has been facilitated by Pakistani officials who persuaded the Taliban political envoys to meet senior Afghan leaders in a move to break the stalemate in the talks.

The delegation members are: former vice president Mohammad Karim Khalili, chief of the breakaway faction of Jamiat-e-Islami, Ata Mohammad Noor, leader of Junbish-e-Milli Afghanistan Batoor Dostam, State Minister for Peace Affairs Mansoor Naderi, head of the government’s negotiation team Masoom Stanekzai, Salam Rahimi, Fatima Gailani and are part of the team.

Former President Hamid Karzai, who arrived at the airport and appeared with the team at press talk, suddenly changed his plan and said he will not accompany the team.

His office clarified he had no plan to proceed to Doha. But offered no comments.

Now the focus would be on the outcome of the talks between Dr Abdullah’s led team and the Taliban. There could be some progress if the Afghan government accepts the Taliban demands for the release of remaining Taliban prisoners and delisting of senior Taliban leaders from the UN Security Council’s sanctions list.

“It could be an icebreaker if our two demands are accepted,” a Taliban leader told Daily Times from Qatar.

But progress on other key issues like the future set up and ceasefire would not be easy as the Taliban have been pressing for the removal of President Ghani’s government and establishment of an Islamic government. Kabul wants the Taliban join the present set-up, the suggestion rejected by the Taliban.

In another development Pakistan announced Friday that the Afghan Peace Conference scheduled to be held in Islamabad from 17-19 July 2021 has been postponed until after Eid Al-Adha.

The new dates of the said Conference will be announced later, a foreign ministry statement said.