Reporter
Sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that the Taliban has imposed new restrictions on former president Hamid Karzai’s meetings with Taliban officials, foreign ambassadors, the public, and his visits inside and abroad Afghanistan.
The Taliban claimed that these restrictions have been imposed to protect Karzai from ISIS attacks.
Karzai had a soft and conciliatory stance towards the Taliban during his presidency and is now in a highly fragile situation.
Sources close to Hamid Karzai said that currently his fate is unknown and he hopes that his situation will change when the political situation transforms in the country.
According to sources, there is no contact between Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and former president Hamid Karzai. Karzai has not made any effort to communicate with Mullah Hibatullah to ease these restrictions.
Even though Hamid Karzai is from Kandahar, Kandahari Taliban do not have any contact with him. On the contrary, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani network and the Taliban's interior minister, has a lasting and warm acquittance with the former president.
According to Afghanistan International’s sources, Sirajuddin Haqqani has visited Karzai's house several times and met him there.
Also, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi; Minister of Mines and Petroleum Shahabuddin Delawar, and Intelligence Chief Abdul Haq Wasiq are among the Taliban officials who have visited former president Karzai.
On some occasions, the Taliban leaders in Kabul have discussed with Karzai regarding some of their common subjects.
These restrictions, which are not limited to Hamid Karzai alone, have been imposed by the Taliban while a number of high-ranking officials of the group have said that they are against the monopoly of power in Kandahar and are in favour of starting a "national dialogue" about the ban on women's education and work and the formation of an inclusive government.
Sources close to Hamid Karzai confirmed to Afghanistan International that on August 30, the Taliban did not allow the former president to meet with a delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Although Karzai travelled to foreign countries and returned several times under the Taliban regime, after his last trip to the United Kingdom, the Taliban imposed an absolute travel ban on him and did not allow him to travel to Germany.
The Taliban’s precondition for allowing Karzai to visit Germany has been for the German foreign minister to meet the Taliban’s foreign minister. According to the Taliban, Karzai is not a representative of Afghanistan to be engaged with.
Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban authorities have also restricted Karzai’s meetings with the public inside Afghanistan and cited security threats as the reason for imposed restrictions.
Taliban intelligence, which is responsible for the security of Hamid Karzai's residence, has told the former president several times that ISIS is a security threat to him.
Karzai usually informs the Taliban and especially the group’s intelligence agency before leaving his residence. Taliban authorities in Kabul do not have the authority to allow him to leave his house, and it is only the Taliban leader’s office in Kandahar that has the authority to allow Hamid Karzai’s movement in Kabul. Also, the Taliban leader's office allows Karzai’s meetings and travel outside of Afghanistan.
Sources said that foreign and domestic media organisations have contacted Hamid Karzai’s office for interviews, but the Taliban has prevented the former president from speaking to the media.
France 24 TV revealed in June that the Taliban did not allow the reporter of the TV channel to conduct an interview with Hamid Karzai at his residence in Kabul.
The Taliban, especially in Kandahar, has asked Hamid Karzai to refrain from talking about the ban on education and work of Afghan girls and women, inclusive government, and "intra-Afghan dialogue". According to them, those who do not support the Taliban government cannot criticise the group. Therefore, they asked him to live in silence like all ordinary Afghan people.
According to the Taliban, Hamid Karzai is no longer the representative of Afghanistan and cannot meet with Afghans and foreigners.
