A number of Afghan diplomats in Qatar have said that the Taliban will send negotiators to the Gulf nation who are expected to be moderate and open to a deal.

According to Qatar's daily newspaper The Gulf Times, the diplomats said that they understand the Taliban is aiming to send some moderate negotiators instead of Tayeb Agha, the close aide to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.

The news comes ahead of President Hamid Karzai's visit to Qatar this week.

According to the Gulf Times, the diplomats said that the move is seen as a breakthrough to hold direct negotiations with Afghanistan's government.

But a number of former Taliban members said that the Taliban does not have any plans to send a new negotiator to meet with Karzai in Qatar.

"Based on my own information, the Taliban does not have any plan to replace Tayeb Agha or send a new figure to Qatar. This news is all buzz and propaganda," the former leader of Taliban's Jaish-ul-Muslimin Movement Sayed Akbar Agha told TOLOnews.

Meanwhile Afghanistan's High Peace Council welcomed the news but said it didn't matter if it was a moderate negotiator or not, but the Taliban had to clarify its position.

"Whether a moderate or hardline Taliban, it is not important to us. We ask the Taliban to show a clear position and start negotiations with Afghanistan ," HPC member Shahzada Shahid said.

The head of the HPC and head of the HPC secretariat are expected to travel with Karzai to Qatar at the end of this week, Shahid told TOLOnews.