Afghan Taliban has denied media report that a delegation of the government-backed High Peace Council (HPC) met Taliban figures in Dubai to find a negotiated settlement to the longstanding conflict.
A delegation of HPC headed by presidential adviser Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai left for Dubai on Sunday to hold talks with a 16- member Taliban delegation and discuss the peace process in Afghanistan," the English newspaper Daily Afghanistan reported.
Six former ministers of the ousted Taliban regime are part of the Taliban delegation, according to the newspaper.
Another newspaper Hasht-e-Subh, quoting presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi, reported that talks were held on Tuesday in Dubai and the government hoped the negotiations will be result-oriented for achieving peace in Afghanistan.
However, the Taliban outfit in a statement posted on its website late Wednesday said no peace dialogue had been held with the Kabul government.
"Certain media outlets have reported that Mustasim Agha Jan organized a meeting of Taliban leaders in United Arab Emirates to discuss the peace process in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (name of Taliban regime) declares that Mutasim Agha Jan has no authority and cannot represent the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. There was no peace talks in Dubai, neither with the puppet Kabul administration nor with the so-called peace council," the Taliban statement said.
Agha Jan, who has been reportedly living in Turkey since 2011, expressed Taliban leadership's readiness to hold peace talks with the Afghan government, a step welcomed by president Hamid Karzai administration.
However, Afghan political observers take a pessimistic view of the peace talks, saying the adamant Taliban leadership believes in military victory rather than negotiated settlement.
"It is the earnest desire of president Karzai to reconcile with the Taliban militants and bring them into government and that is why the president describe Taliban militants as brothers but the stubborn outfit prefers military victory to negotiation to grab power," political analyst Faizullah Jalal told Xinhua.
Jalal, a Kabul University professor, added that Agha Jan has already been expelled by Taliban leadership from the Taliban rank and has been living in Turkey with government's support.
Mawlawi Abdul Raqib Takhari, a minister in former Taliban regime, was also among those Taliban leaders attending the latest peace talks in Dubai, Faizi said, adding, however, Raqib was shot dead by unknown gunmen after returning home in Peshawar in northwest Pakistan from Dubai.
"Afghan government with the support of U.S. and NATO-led troops has failed to diminish the Taliban fighters over the past decade. Taliban as a fighting force are aware that the political life of president Karzai will end after the April 5 presidential election, so the armed outfit would not talk with the present government," another analyst and former parliamentarian Saleh Mohammad Rigistani said in a television panel discussion.
Xinhua
A delegation of HPC headed by presidential adviser Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai left for Dubai on Sunday to hold talks with a 16- member Taliban delegation and discuss the peace process in Afghanistan," the English newspaper Daily Afghanistan reported.
Six former ministers of the ousted Taliban regime are part of the Taliban delegation, according to the newspaper.
Another newspaper Hasht-e-Subh, quoting presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi, reported that talks were held on Tuesday in Dubai and the government hoped the negotiations will be result-oriented for achieving peace in Afghanistan.
However, the Taliban outfit in a statement posted on its website late Wednesday said no peace dialogue had been held with the Kabul government.
"Certain media outlets have reported that Mustasim Agha Jan organized a meeting of Taliban leaders in United Arab Emirates to discuss the peace process in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (name of Taliban regime) declares that Mutasim Agha Jan has no authority and cannot represent the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. There was no peace talks in Dubai, neither with the puppet Kabul administration nor with the so-called peace council," the Taliban statement said.
Agha Jan, who has been reportedly living in Turkey since 2011, expressed Taliban leadership's readiness to hold peace talks with the Afghan government, a step welcomed by president Hamid Karzai administration.
However, Afghan political observers take a pessimistic view of the peace talks, saying the adamant Taliban leadership believes in military victory rather than negotiated settlement.
"It is the earnest desire of president Karzai to reconcile with the Taliban militants and bring them into government and that is why the president describe Taliban militants as brothers but the stubborn outfit prefers military victory to negotiation to grab power," political analyst Faizullah Jalal told Xinhua.
Jalal, a Kabul University professor, added that Agha Jan has already been expelled by Taliban leadership from the Taliban rank and has been living in Turkey with government's support.
Mawlawi Abdul Raqib Takhari, a minister in former Taliban regime, was also among those Taliban leaders attending the latest peace talks in Dubai, Faizi said, adding, however, Raqib was shot dead by unknown gunmen after returning home in Peshawar in northwest Pakistan from Dubai.
"Afghan government with the support of U.S. and NATO-led troops has failed to diminish the Taliban fighters over the past decade. Taliban as a fighting force are aware that the political life of president Karzai will end after the April 5 presidential election, so the armed outfit would not talk with the present government," another analyst and former parliamentarian Saleh Mohammad Rigistani said in a television panel discussion.
Xinhua
Source : Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), International Service
