Some negotiators of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban held a meeting in Doha on Sunday--their latest since May 13--amid the stalled peace efforts that have shown no progress over the last two months after the announcement of US withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

Shaikh Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the head of the Taliban’s negotiating team, also attended the meeting, according to sources in Qatar. This follows his one-month consultation with Taliban leadership in Pakistan. He returned to Doha from Islamabad on Friday, sources said.

The Supreme State Council, which the government and political leaders have been working to finalize for the last few weeks, will have the authority to make decisions and provide advice on peace, war and the country’s foreign relations, a senior presidential adviser confirmed on Monday. 

Akram Khpulwak, President Ashraf Ghani’s political adviser and the deputy head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said that discussions on the number of members and the structure of the Supreme State Council have been finalized, but talks are underway to decide the date of its first meeting.