Intra-Afghan talks: Muttaqi says opposite side had no authority

KABUL (Pajhwok): Calling the Doha Agreement a good framework to resolve problems, acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said the intra-Afghan negotiations did not succeed because the opposite side had no authority.

Muttaqi said this during an interview with an Arab TV channel,  a part of which Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, the deputy spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, published on his Twitter page on Saturday.

Muttaqi said the responsibilities of the Islamic Emirate and the responsibilities of the United States and its allies were also known in the Doha Agreement.

He said under the deal, the Islamic Emirate’s responsibilities included providing a way for foreign forces to leave and not to attack them within 14 months and not allowing the soil of Afghanistan to be used against anyone.

“The intra-Afghan negotiations also started and continued, but the opposite side had no unified opinion and had no powers, people from different groups were part of the opposite side, therefore no progress was made.”

Muttaqi said America’s first responsibility was to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in three months, but their release took 10 months that also delayed the intra-Afghan talks.

The foreign minister said the US had promised to release the rest of their prisoners within three months, but that did not happen until the end and finally they were released after the Islamic Emirate conquered Afghanistan.

He said the US was yet to fulfill its promises as part the Doha agreement to remove the names of Islamic Emirate members from the black list and not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

He accused the US of still interfering in the affairs of Afghanistan and its drones were still seen from time to time in the airspace of the country.

However, the US has repeatedly accused the Islamic Emirate of violating the Doha Agreement.

ma