Afghan imbroglio: Taliban signal ‘willingness’ to talk, says Afghan official

Taliban spokesman rejects the claim as propaganda to create doubts.

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban militia has hinted at their willingness to hold talks with the government-backed peace council, The Express Tribune learnt on Sunday.

According to an Afghan official, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins met with President Hamid Karzai last month and “informed him that the Taliban are willing to talk” to the Afghan High Peace Council.

Dobbins, who later visited Pakistan, is believed to have discussed the Taliban proposal with officials in Islamabad.

“The Afghan government has disagreed with certain preconditions put forth by the Taliban. Discussions are under way to find a solution,” the official told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.



The Karzai administration wants the Taliban to publicly denounce al Qaeda and hold direct talks with the Afghan Peace Council in Qatar.

However, the Taliban have offered to publicly condemn all acts of terrorism, but are not ready to denounce al Qaeda, the Afghan official added.

The Taliban, however, denied their reported willingness for talks calling it ‘propaganda’.  “It is a white lie aimed at misleading the Afghans,” Taliban spokesperson Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told The Express Tribune. The Karzai regime is spreading such rumours because it has failed on the military and political fronts.

The Afghan official added that the government is ready to show ‘flexibility’ and expects Taliban negotiators to reciprocate.

President Karzai arrived in Qatar on Sunday, where he is expected to discuss the Afghan peace process and bilateral relations between the two countries.

Karzai will attend the 10th annual US-Islamic World Forum in Doha and is scheduled to deliver a speech (today).

The Afghan official said that Karzai, accompanied by High Peace Council chief Salahuddin Rabbani, is expected to be briefed on the Taliban’s offer during his visit. However, a Taliban spokesperson ruled out any possibility of talks with Karzai during his visit to Qatar.

While Islamabad insists that it cannot convince the Taliban to sit across the table with Afghan officials, President Karzai “believes that Pakistan can play a role to influence the Taliban to join the intra-Afghan dialogue,” sources said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.