In a first, Taliban's Qatar office discusses Afghan affairs with media

They invited a group of Kabul-based journalists and analysts since they opened their Qatar office in 2013

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban’s political office in Qatar, for the first time invited a group of Kabul-based journalists and analysts to formally discuss the growing suspicions among the war-weary Afghans.

In an unprecedented move, the Taliban invited the media since the group opened an office in the oil-rich Gulf state in June 2013. The office was shut days after the then Afghan president Hamid Karzai raised objections over Taliban's white flag and a plaque, which read: “Islamic Emirate”. Both the signs were used by the militant group during its rule from 1996 till 2001.



The Taliban office is currently closed, however, all Taliban political representatives are living in Qatar, mostly with family members.

They had always kept their activities secret in Qatar, including their months of talks with the United State regarding an exchange of prisoners in June 2014. Following the talks, the US freed five senior Taliban leaders from the infamous Guantanamo prison for a lone captive US Army sergeant, Bowe Bergdahl.

Interestingly, the list of invitees included the famous anchor Shahpur Bakhtiyar, from Tolo TV which was reportedly attacked by a Taliban bomber in January this year. In another incident, a Taliban suicide attack on a minibus carrying media personnel in Kabul killed at least seven people and injured over two dozen.

A university teacher Dr Faiz Muhammad Zaland, who is part of the six-member delegation, confirmed the visit.

Head of Taliban's  Qatar office Sher Abbas Stanekzai, discussed important issues, including solutions for putting an end to war, women's rights, presence of foreign forces, and the possibility of the peace talks, Dr Zaland said in an article published “nunn.asia” website on Wednesday.



Spokesperson for the group's Qatar office Suhail Shaheen informed those in attendance that the political representatives would respond to their concerns and demands. He urged the media not to hide the government's corruption and mismanagement.

Lateef Nazari, a university teacher and political observer, asked the Taliban as to how they would respond to the people's concerns about challenges to the development and culture in view of the ongoing war, according to Zaland.

Asadullah Wahidi, editor of Sernavesht supported peace talks with the Taliban, but stressed that "there are a lot of concerns and questions about the group's policies".