Taliban faction chief holds first formal meeting with Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah
The Haqqani Network is an important faction of the Taliban
KABUL (Dunya News/Reuters) - A Taliban commander and senior leader of the Haqqani Network militant group, Anas Haqqani, has met former Afghan President Hamid Karzai for talks, a Taliban official said on Wednesday, amid efforts by the Taliban to set up a government.
Karzai was accompanied by the old government s main peace envoy, Abdullah Abdullah, in the meeting, said the Taliban official, who declined to be identified. He gave no more details.
The Haqqani Network is an important faction of the Taliban, who captured the capital, Kabul, on Sunday. The network, based on the border with Pakistan, was accused over recent years of some of the most deadly militant attacks in Afghanistan.
Earlier, Mawlawi Khairullah Khairkhwah, a member of the Taliban s political office in Doha who is currently in Kandahar city, has confirmed that Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and eight other Taliban members arrived in Kandahar on Tuesday from Qatar.
“We do not see anybody as our enemies anymore now,” said Khairkhwah. He did not provide further details about Baradar’s trip to Kandahar.
On Tuesday the Taliban confirmed that they seek to establish an inclusive government in Afghanistan.
The results of their discussions with Afghan politicians and representatives from the international community about forming an “inclusive government” will be made public soon.
Sources close to Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah said that Amir Khan Motaqi, a senior member of the Taliban leadership, in a meeting with Afghan politicians on Monday pledged to establish an inclusive government.
Mutaqi met with Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah on Monday. “The discussion is how can an inclusive government be established that is accepted by all and that will lead society toward prosperity,” said Gul Rahman Qazi, a close aide to Hamid Karzai.
“They are busy in discussions about an inclusive government, a government that is accepted by all Afghans and where differences are overcome,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, head of the Rah-e-Nejat Council of Afghanistan.
