Palace Rejects Progress in Doha Talks

The Presidential Palace on Wednesday reject any progress in peace negotiations between negotiators of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban and said the deadlock in the talks has not broken so far.

Sources this week reported a breakthrough in the talks and said both sides have agreed to include the US-Taliban agreement, UN endorsements for the Afghan peace process, commitments of the negotiating teams and the will of the Afghan people as the base for upcoming negotiations.

But presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told reporters Wednesday that the Taliban’s demand is “against the Constitution.” However, he did not provide details in this respect.

Sediqqi said peace is a priority for President Ghani and that the Taliban should join the peace process as it is supported by the international community.

“The government is working on peace, and is ready for peace as it was in the past,” he said. “Afghan Republic’s negotiating team is trying to break any deadlock and keep the Taliban at the table of negotiations.”

Sediqqi said the international community slammed the high level of Taliban violence in the country and expressed their concerns over civilian casualties and called for an immediate ceasefire in Afghanistan.

The Taliban does not have “global legitimacy” and they are facing the government of Afghanistan, Sediqqi said, adding that “the Taliban is a group for us.”

Sediqqi said the Afghan government also calls for an immediate end to violence.

Sources this week said that Afghan chief negotiator Mohammad Massoom Stanikzai and presidential peace advisor Salam Rahimi are on a secret trip to Kabul in the past three days, seeking President Ghani’s approval for the agreed formulation.