IEA expected to unveil plan to get exiled Afghan politicians to return home

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is scheduled to announce its plan on Saturday on how it will entice exiled Afghan politicians to return home.

The new political commission, which held its third meeting late Thursday, is expected to hold a press conference where they will also announce the names of politicians that the seven-member commission will enter into talks with.

Shahabuddin Dilawar, acting minister of mines and petroleum, who heads the commission, said Friday the plan for the return of politicians has been approved by the IEA’s Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akundzada.

“Its work has been completed, a plan has been prepared, and the mechanism has been completed. We also met with the Amir al-Mu’minin (supreme leader) on Friday and he approved [the plan]. Our arms are open to those who are abroad and they can return and live with dignity in their homeland,” said Dilawar.

Experts believe this is an important step in preventing further political and military tension in the country.

Politicians and well-known figures of the previous government have also emphasized the need to come together at the negotiating table with the IEA.

“We are optimistic about it. They can contact the coordinator of the High Council of National Resistance, that is in the form of a secretariat, for negotiations between the council and the Taliban (IEA) to be arranged,” said Mohammad Mohaqiq, chairman of the People’s Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan.

A number of former government officials fled Afghanistan following the collapse of the republic.

Now, however, Hamdullah Mohib, the former national security adviser to ex-Afghan president Ashraf Ghani apologizes to the people for having played a role in the fall of the government and the departure of Ghani, saying that they had no choice but to leave Afghanistan to prevent further bloodshed.

“We had a plan to go to Doha to negotiate, and I personally wanted to negotiate with them [IEA], but that day (August 15) things changed very quickly, and the only good thing we did was to save our city, we were able to save the people of our city. Imagine if many people could not flee the country if the war went from street to street,” said Mohib.