Afghan gov’t picks delegates to meet Taliban in Qatar

By Shadi Khan Saif</p> <p>KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – The Afghan government on Tuesday finalized a list of delegates, including women, for peace talks with the Taliban later this month.</p> <p>Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman of President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, released a list of 250 politicians, government officials and civil society activists to hold talks with the Taliban in the Qatari capital Doha.</p> <p>Among the delegates are 52 women to represent the Afghan government for the next round of Doha talks with no dates announced yet.</p> <p>Officials said the talks among the U.S., the Taliban and representatives from Afghanistan would take place later this month.</p> <p>It is going to be a second interaction between the Afghan government and the Taliban past two months. A relatively smaller in size but high profile informal delegation led by former Afghan President Hamid Karzai met the Taliban in Russia’s capital Moscow in early February.</p> <p>“No one will partake in the conference [in Doha] as a representative of the Kabul administration. Just like the previous Moscow Conference, any individual who is part of the Kabul administration and is listed as a participant will only participate in a personal capacity and share personal views”, Zabihullah Mujahed, the Taliban spokesman, said earlier in April.</p> <p>In a latest tweet on Tuesday, Mujahed said the Taliban believe participation of women in peace talks is not necessary.</p> <p>“…women will partake in the upcoming intra-Afghan conference, just like those in Moscow. We said nothing relating to women in negotiation team &amp; neither do we believe it is necessary”.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for Afghan reconciliation, called on the Taliban for a ceasefire.</p> <p>“The quickest way to prevent casualties is to agree on a ceasefire. Taliban senior leadership should allow their representatives to come to the table and discuss. I will continue to press the case”, he said on Tuesday.</p> <p>The U.S.-led talks are aimed at ending the 17-year war in Afghanistan.