Temporary charge: Sher Abbas Stanekzai takes over Taliban’s Qatar office

Pledges allegiance to Mullah Mansoor immediately after appointment

ISLAMABAD: Senior Afghan Taliban leader Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanekzai took over as the acting head of the group’s political office in Qatar on Wednesday, a day after its former chief called it quits.

Immediately after his appointment, Stanekzai pledged his allegiance to new Taliban supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. “I and other members of the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate declare allegiance to the honourable Mullah Akhtar Mansoor,” he said in a statement.

“We consider this decision in accordance with Islamic Sharia and will follow his [Mansoor’s] instructions. We assure our full support to the new chief,” Stanekzai added.

The previous head of the Qatar office, Sayyed Tayyeb Agha, resigned after developing differences over Mullah Mansoor’s election as Mullah Omar’s successor.

Stanekzai, who had also served as deputy minister for health in the Taliban regime, was the founding member of the Qatar office. He was later appointed as deputy to Tayyeb Agha. Believed to be aged between 55 and 60 years, Stanekzai is a former member of the Harkat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami of Muhammad Nabi and holds a masters’ degree in political science.

Stanekzai’s appointment will put an end to longstanding tensions between Tayyeb Agha and Mansoor and their understanding could help move the peace process forward, according to observers.

Haji Deen Muhammad, the head of the Afghan government delegation, told reporters in Kabul on Wednesday that they want talks to resume at the earliest. “Revival of the talks will benefit Afghanistan, Pakistan and the whole region,” he was quoted as saying by a section of the Afghan media.

However, Taliban officials told The Express Tribune that the group’s new leadership was ‘not in a hurry’ to resume negotiations.

“I do not think the talks could start in three to four months as the new leadership will first focus on removing misunderstanding among some leaders. It will focus on organisation matters for now and that will take some time,” one Taliban leader said. “There is also a strong opinion among the leaders to opt for indirect talks instead of direct negotiations,” he added.

Late on Monday, Tayyeb Agha resigned from his position of chief negotiator. Agha, who was a close confidante of the deceased Taliban spiritual leader, Mullah Omar, described Mullah Mansoor’s election outside Afghanistan as a ‘historic mistake’. He also accused the leadership of keeping the death of Mullah Omar a secret despite his repeated demands for the voice of the elusive Taliban chief.

A senior Taliban official played down impact of Agha’s resignation. According to Abdul Hayee Motmaen, the former spokesman of Mullah Omar and a senior member of the Taliban political affairs committee, the former head of the Qatar office had been “mulling resignation for some time.” He added that Mullah Omar’s death was kept secret as the leadership and religious scholars believed it would affect morale of Taliban fighters.

Meanwhile, efforts to forge unity among Taliban ranks are underway, Motmaen said.

He added that renowned Afghan religious leaders are now mediating between Akhtar Mansoor and the family of Mullah Omar.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2015.