The US forces withdrawal from Afghanistan, a comprehensive ceasefire, direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban’s assurance that Afghanistan will not be used as a threat against other country are the main topics which will be discussed in the US officials and the Taliban representatives talks in Qatar on Monday, President Ghani’s spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said.
Chakhansuri said they expect the Taliban’s team to have the authority to talk about ceasefire this time.
“Taliban’s representatives in the previous talks have told Khalilzad that they lacked the authority to discuss ceasefire and talks with the Afghan government. This time, it is expected that they have gained the authority to talk [on these matters],” said Chakhansuri.
Chakhansuri said that any decision about lifting sanctions imposed on the Taliban members will be made in consultation with the Afghan government.
“If direct talks begins and the Taliban really wants peace, then this issue can be discussed that the travel ban should be lifted from them or no,” Chakhansuri added.
This comes after the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Zamir Kabulov on Friday said they will seek options to secure UN permission for sanctioned Taliban members to
travel to attend peace talks.
Before this, the Afghan government lodged a complaint letter with the UN over the appearance of Taliban’s sanctioned members in Moscow and then lodged another complaint to the UNSC about the scheduled meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Taliban representatives who are on the UN/US blacklist.
The scheduled meeting for 18th of February between Khan and Taliban was called off following Kabul’s complaints.
Sources close to Taliban said US forces withdrawal, ending Taliban relationships with other insurgent groups and assurance by the group that Afghanistan will be not used as a place of threats against other nations are the issues will be discussed in Qatar.
The sources said in the fifth round of the talks, the two sides are expected to finalize the important issues they have discussed in the previous talks.
“I think this time the two sides will talk about the assignment they have done and also will discuss the issues that the US and Taliban to some extent agreed on in the previous talks,” said Hassan Haqyar, a political affairs analyst said.
TOLOnews has reached a copy of a complaint letter of the Afghan government to the UN over travel by Taliban’s sanctioned members.
The list includes names of Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, Ziaurrahman Madani, Abdul Salam Hanafi, Shahabuddin Dilawar, Abdul Latif Mansour, Amir Khan Mutaqi, Fazl Mohammad Mazlom and Noorullah Noori who are members of Taliban’s negotiating team.