Taliban leadership approves initial peace talks with Afghan government

A small delegation of Taliban leaders to visit Pakistan in coming days for further consultations

ISLAMABAD: Afghan Taliban’s top leadership has approved “preliminary peace talks” with the Afghan government, a former top Taliban commander, who is aware of the process, said on Sunday.

“The Taliban representatives, who had been involved in talks with Pakistani and Chinese officials, had sought time for consultations with the senior leadership, which has now given a green signal,” a Taliban leader told The Express Tribune.

“Pakistani officials had advised the Taliban leaders to sit face-to-face with the Afghan government and put their demands to find out a political solution to the problem,” he said.

Some leaders, affiliated with the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, are expected to visit Pakistan soon for discussions to explore ways for the proposed peace dialogue and the re-opening of the Taliban office in Qatar, another Taliban leader claimed on Sunday.

“A small delegation will be visiting Pakistan in the coming days for further consultations,” a Taliban leader said, adding that the two senior representatives – Qari Din Muhammad and Abbas Stanakzai – will be among the team.

According to Taliban sources, Qari Din Muhammad, who had led a team of negotiators in meetings with Chinese officials in Beijing in November, recently visited Pakistan in connection with the proposed talks. During his visit, he also met Chinese diplomats for a “follow up discussions” as Beijing is playing a key in encouraging the Taliban to join the intra-Afghan dialogue, another Taliban leader said.

The Taliban office in Doha was closed in 2013 just days after its opening following the criticism by the then Afghan president Hamid Karzai over the Taliban’s white flag fluttering atop the office and the display of the signboard “Afghanistan Islamic Emirate,” which Taliban had used during their rule over Afghanistan between 1996-2001.

Although the Taliban office in Doha is still closed; all the Taliban negotiators are staying in Qatar and some more are likely to join them by the time dialogue process starts, revealed Taliban sources.

The Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar in his traditional “Eid message” had declared that the Qatar office is the only source of communication with the Taliban.

Taliban had long been opposing talks with the government of former president Karzai on the plea that he had no powers to take decisions. They had the same approach towards the government of incumbent President Ashraf Ghani; however, they now seem willing to enter into talks with Afghan authorities.

The Taliban have not yet officially confirmed about entering into dialogue with the Afghan government.