By Sharif Amiry in TOLOnews, Dec 10, 2020 at 8:28 AM
Both sides of the peace negotiations in Doha were expected to begin “serious talks” on Wednesday, according to Reconciliation Council chief Abdullah Abdullah, but sources said that meetings have been delayed for two days.
The sources said that the Taliban has asked for two days to discuss the 28-article demand list of the Afghan republic’s negotiating team. But a member of the Taliban’s negotiating team in Qatar said that the two-day time period was proposed by both sides.
The two sides have held three consecutive meetings this week at the working group level to discuss the agenda of the peace negotiations after having reached an agreement on the procedural rules for the talks.
“We hope that the Taliban consider the problems of the country and show flexibility and reach an agreement so that we become united,” said Qazi Mohammad Amin Waqad, former deputy head of the High Peace Council.
Wednesday is International Anti-Corruption Day, and officials said they hope to eradicate corruption once a peace deal is achieved.
“We hope to remove the main root of corruption and smuggling once there is progress in the peace process,” Second Vice President Sarwar Danesh said.
The Taliban’s 22-article proposal aims to include mentions in the agenda of the talks that many freedoms, like women’s freedom, should be based on Islamic teachings, however, it is unclear how the Taliban would define such.
“We don’t have a clear definition from the Islamic laws that they (Taliban) are talking about because so far they have not mentioned in any negotiations that they have stepped back from their previous stance on women’s rights,” said Farida Mohmand, a member of the High Council for National Reconciliation.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-168374
