Taliban begin political talks amid protests

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 18

The Taliban on Wednesday began political consultations with officials of the previous regime amid protests in Nangarhar, Khost and Kunar provinces bordering Pakistan in which two civilians were killed.

The youngest member of the Taliban Peace Council, Anas Haqqani, met former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Reconciliation Council chief Abdullah Abdullah but there was no word on what was discussed.

Ahead of the talks, Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and eight others landed in Kandahar from Qatar on Tuesday.

In Kabul, the Taliban did not enforce the full naqab on women mediapersons while news channels debated the pros and cons of the takeover. The insurgents sought to present a ‘reasonable’ face amid Canadian PM Justin Trudeau stating that his government would not recognise the group. However, the Taliban arrested woman governor Salima Mazari and its cadre went around spraying white paint on pictures of women at storefronts.

While evacuation of their staffers and Afghan loyalists by western countries picked up pace and there was relative calm at the Kabul airport, the US said it was examining the issue of human remains in its aircraft and videos of men falling from planes.

Meanwhile, Ashraf Ghani, who reached Abu Dhabi, was offered asylum on “humanitarian grounds.” His Tajik allies were unforgiving, asking the Interpol to detain him and others for “stealing” public wealth.

Several countries, including the UK, the US and Australia, warned: “We will monitor closely how any future government ensures rights that have become an integral part of the life of women and girls in Afghanistan during the last 20 years.”