Govt and Taliban discuss next step in Doha peace talks

The Afghan government and the Taliban negotiating teams have discussed the establishment of three separate working teams to pursue peace talks, sources said Sunday.

The seven-member delegations from both sides have held four rounds of talks behind closed doors since Friday.

Sources familiar with the process in Doha, in Qatar, where talks are underway, told Ariana News that the teams would negotiate three key topics including the future Constitution, trust-building, and a political roadmap.

According to the sources, the release of Taliban prisoners from Afghan jails and the removal of the group’s leaders’ names from the UN blacklist is considered as part of trust-building and will be discussed.

The establishment of a transitional government will be negotiated as part of the political roadmap.

The Afghan peace team, however, is seeking an immediate ceasefire.

The government, meanwhile, believes that the Taliban are attempting to gain power through a military takeover and that the group has no intention of addressing issues via a political settlement.

Suhail Shaheen, a member of the Taliban peace team, rejected the government’s claims stating: “This is the perception of the other side [government], this is not our policy; our policy is to reach a negotiated solution. Because, thereafter, we can maintain a lasting peace in Afghanistan, which is the ultimate goal of all of us.”

The two sides will also discuss a future political system in Afghanistan. So far, the Taliban have not commented on whether they accept the people’s will to elect their leaders, but the group has been clear that they want to establish an Islamic government such as their Islamic Emirate.

Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi the State Minister for Peace stated: “We must not forget that Afghanistan has practiced democracy in the last two decades. People’s will, whether man or woman, is a priority value and that is important for us in this round of negotiations.”