KABUL – A meeting of various Afghan Taliban factions and the Afghangovernment is under way in Istanbul, the Pajhwok news agency of Afghanistanreported on Friday.
The report stated that the “quadrilateral intra-Afghan peace dialogue”began in Istanbul on Saturday “to find a negotiated end to the decades-longconflict in Afghanistan”.
Quoting a reliable source, the report stated that the dialogue was arrangedin cooperation with the Turkish government.
Taliban’s Qatar Office members, Mullah Mohammad Rassoul splinter factionmembers, Afghan government officials and Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA)members are attending the meeting, the report informed.
Rahmatullah Wardak is representing the Taliban, Mullah Rauf and Abdul Halimare representing the Rassoul group, Haji Dawajan Ahmadzai and HomayoonJarir the HIA and DrBasir, an envoy of Afghan High Peace Council (HPC)chief Karim Khalili, is speaking on behalf of the government.
The meeting follows as reports that the Turkish government has proposed theTaliban to open a political office in the country.
A spokesman for the HIA, Mohammad Nadar Afghan, confirmed the gathering toPajhwok.
The report quotes a source close to Taliban admitting the talks but said”no one from their supreme leader Mullah Haibatullah group is participatingin the gathering”.
According to the Taliban source, this was the third meeting of its kindtaking placing between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives inTurkey.