Govt to make changes to its negotiating team: source

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghan government has decided to make changes to its peace negotiating team, a well-place source said on Sunday.

Earlier, President Ashraf Ghani had announced a 12-member team, headed by his Chief of Staff Abdul Salaam Rahimi, and formed a Consultative Board for advices to the negotiating team.

On December 11, members of the government negotiating team and Consultative Board were appointed in line with a presidential decree and both bodies were formed after detailed consultations with political, jihadi leaders, civil society organisations and different stakeholders for the purpose of lasting peace in the country.

A week earlier, according to Presidential spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri, President Ashraf Ghani and US Peace Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad agreed on new mechanism to move forward the peace talks.

But today a well-placed source told Pajhwok Afghan News that President Ghani had launched fresh negotiations with political parties regarding formation of a team which would hold talks with the Taliban on behalf of the government.

According to the source, the president has been discussing the fresh team and its members and hoped a final decision in this regard would come at the end of this week.

The president also met with former president Hamid Karzai on Saturday night as part of consultations on the new negotiating team.

The source said the government wanted to include political figures involved in the Afghan politics since the 90s and post 2001.

“If there is the possibility of intra-Afghan talks, the names of the new team may be announced before the launch of Consultative Loya Jirga which may be convened in mid-March,” according to the source.

The fresh round of talks between the US and the Taliban is expected to begin tomorrow in Qatar. The two sides have claimed progress in their previous talks.

nh/ma