Agarwal
Councller (250+ posts)
Afghan Taliban denytaking orders from Pakistan
Reuters|
Taliban militants. File Photo
KABUL: The Talibanhave denied that they had obtained permission from Pakistan to sendrepresentatives to Qatar to participate in initial talks that US officials hadhoped would lead to a peace deal in Afghanistan, saying they had actedindependently.
In a statement postedon a Taliban website, the group said it made decisions of its own likings inall matters and affairs in light of Islamic principles and national interests.
We would like to oncecategorically state that the representatives of Islamic Emirate did not go toQatar with the permission of Pakistan, the group said in the statement postedon Thursday, using the term the Taliban use to describe themselves.
The Islamic Emirateis completely free and independent in all of its affairs.
In an interview withReuters this week, Pakistans ambassador to Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, saidhis government supported a possible peace agreement in Afghanistan, and said ithad allowed some Taliban to travel to the Gulf for that purpose.
The Obamaadministrations hopes for soon establishing peace talks between the Afghangovernment of President Hamid Karzai and the Taliban faded in March when thereclusive Taliban leadership suspended their participation in preliminarydiscussions run by US diplomats.
US officials had hopedtheir initial meetings with Taliban representatives would set in motion thetransfer of former Taliban officials held in Guantanamo Bay military prison toQatar, the release of a US soldier held by the Taliban, and eventuallyauthentic peace talks among the Afghan parties.
The preliminary andconfidence-building talks done by the representatives of Islamic Emirate withthose of the United States of America in Qatar were initiated and then haltedunder the order of its leader, the Taliban said.
When they announcedtheir suspension, the Taliban blamed the United States for an inconsistentnegotiating position.
While the Afghangovernment says it has held its own, separate meetings with Talibanrepresentatives, the militant groups leadership says it will not engage innegotiations with what it deems an illegitimate, puppet regime.
In a separatestatement issued on Friday, the Taliban said they had sent a representative toan academic conference on Afghanistans future in Japan this week, but said thepurpose was only to clarify its positions.
As long as the matterwith America (talks which are currently suspended) is not addressed, talkingwith the administration of Karzai is pointless, the group said.
Reuters|

Taliban militants. File Photo
KABUL: The Talibanhave denied that they had obtained permission from Pakistan to sendrepresentatives to Qatar to participate in initial talks that US officials hadhoped would lead to a peace deal in Afghanistan, saying they had actedindependently.
In a statement postedon a Taliban website, the group said it made decisions of its own likings inall matters and affairs in light of Islamic principles and national interests.
We would like to oncecategorically state that the representatives of Islamic Emirate did not go toQatar with the permission of Pakistan, the group said in the statement postedon Thursday, using the term the Taliban use to describe themselves.
The Islamic Emirateis completely free and independent in all of its affairs.
In an interview withReuters this week, Pakistans ambassador to Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, saidhis government supported a possible peace agreement in Afghanistan, and said ithad allowed some Taliban to travel to the Gulf for that purpose.
The Obamaadministrations hopes for soon establishing peace talks between the Afghangovernment of President Hamid Karzai and the Taliban faded in March when thereclusive Taliban leadership suspended their participation in preliminarydiscussions run by US diplomats.
US officials had hopedtheir initial meetings with Taliban representatives would set in motion thetransfer of former Taliban officials held in Guantanamo Bay military prison toQatar, the release of a US soldier held by the Taliban, and eventuallyauthentic peace talks among the Afghan parties.
The preliminary andconfidence-building talks done by the representatives of Islamic Emirate withthose of the United States of America in Qatar were initiated and then haltedunder the order of its leader, the Taliban said.
When they announcedtheir suspension, the Taliban blamed the United States for an inconsistentnegotiating position.
While the Afghangovernment says it has held its own, separate meetings with Talibanrepresentatives, the militant groups leadership says it will not engage innegotiations with what it deems an illegitimate, puppet regime.
In a separatestatement issued on Friday, the Taliban said they had sent a representative toan academic conference on Afghanistans future in Japan this week, but said thepurpose was only to clarify its positions.
As long as the matterwith America (talks which are currently suspended) is not addressed, talkingwith the administration of Karzai is pointless, the group said.