Tough decisions will be taken in Doha talks

Doha/Kabul: The talks between the Afghan government and Taliban, being held in Doha, are becoming difficult and Abdullah Abdullah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Afghan government said that some tough decisions would have to be taken during the talks. Whereas, the Taliban is trying to corner the Afghan government and the United States, with an aggressive demand that the reason for the Afghan war should be a topic of discussion. General Scott Miller, the Commander of the NATO and US forces, in Afghanistan, has taken a positive stand in respect of the talks. Doubts are being raised over the smooth progress of talks as both the connected sides are presenting conflicting stands.

The historic peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban started in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The Afghan government is being represented by Abdullah Abdullah, the CEO of the Afghan government. But Abdullah Abdullah said that the talks are not easy. He accepted that he will have to cross many hurdles during the talks. Abdullah Abdullah said that the Afghan government wants to ensure the security of the rights of people, women and the minorities, as well as the civilian freedom. He also clarified that the Afghan delegation is emphasising that the Taliban should impose a ceasefire.

But reports are being received that the Taliban is preparing to form an interim government, in Afghanistan. For this purpose, Taliban is pushing the issues of Islamic rule and the reasons for the Afghan war, as topics for discussion during the talks. At the same time, efforts are being made by Taliban to maintain pressure on the Afghan government by continuing with violence. The Taliban spokesmen are raising a question ‘what if the Taliban agrees for a ceasefire and nothing emerges from the talks?’ Taliban is saying that this two-decade-old war cannot end with talks.

Therefore, the political leaders from Afghanistan have started raising doubts over the intentions of Taliban and Abdullah Abdullah’s statement seems to be a part of the same sentiment. General Miller is optimistic regarding the talks. The peace talks are necessary for the people of Afghanistan. General Miller expressed an opinion that the Taliban should stop violence. At the same time, the Afghan media claimed that there were no talks between the Afghan government and Taliban on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy, for Afghanistan, recently visited India. At that time, a meeting was held to discuss regarding peace talks in Afghanistan. The United States had said that the Indian role would be crucial in the Afghanistan peace talks. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar had clarified the Indian stand saying that the Afghanistan land should not be used for anti-India activities.