Taliban Sought Recognition As Precondition To Joining Doha Meet, Says UN Chief

A source said that Pakistan does not consider itself obliged to defend the positions of the Taliban.

The two-day Doha meeting for Afghanistan has been initiated with the participation of the UN Secretary-General and special representatives of more than 20 countries to find a solution for the critical situation in Afghanistan and the world's interaction with the Taliban.

Asif Durrani, Pakistan's special envoy for Afghanistan affairs, led the Pakistani delegation in Doha.

The Express Tribune newspaper wrote that despite previous concerns of Pakistan regarding the appointment of a UN special envoy, now the country backs the proposal.

Islamabad has said that the UN special envoy should be a "Muslim, experienced diplomat, and from the region".

Pakistan's change of position regarding the UN special envoy is a direct contradiction to the Taliban's position, which has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the appointment of the Secretary-General's special representative.

Quoting a Pakistani official, this newspaper wrote that “this was because Islamabad was no longer advocating the Taliban’s case.”

If officially confirmed, it seems that Pakistan’s support for the appointment of a special representative reflects the country’s continued dissatisfaction with the Afghan Taliban for supporting the militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has claimed responsibility for violent attacks on Pakistani military forces in the past year.

One of the organisers of this gathering said that the world cannot change the policies of the Taliban through interaction.

These demonstrators voiced their opposition to human rights violations, gender apartheid imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the targeted attacks on the Hazara community.

Sediqullah Tawhidi, one of the organisers of the protest, told Afghanistan International that despite the interaction of several countries with the Taliban, the group has not changed its policies.

He highlighted numerous instances of human rights violations in Afghanistan, specifically emphasising on the widespread denial of women's social and economic rights by the Taliban, persisting despite international appeals.

"Why does the world interact with a terrorist group? Diplomacy and interaction will not lead to the group’s alteration of policies. The world should support the efforts of the Afghan people to overthrow the Taliban," he said.

The United Nations invited the Taliban to participate in the Doha meeting, however, the group declined to attend, citing the non-acceptance of their demands by the United Nations as the reason for their refusal.

Several nations, including the United States, China, and Russia, have expressed their expectation that diplomatic engagement with the Taliban will prompt a positive shift in the group's behaviour. However, Tawhidi said that the Taliban had two years to change, yet they did not alter their stance.

The UN hopes that the countries participating at the Doha meeting will agree on the special representative until the Security Council meeting.

During this meeting, Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is expected to brief the members of the Security Council on the outcomes of the Doha meeting. Additionally, he will introduce the special envoy appointed for the matter.

The official date for this meeting had not been formally disclosed by the Security Council. Aref Yaqubi, a correspondent for Afghanistan International quoting sources from the Doha Meeting, said that the meeting is likely to take place on February 26.

The appointment of a special representative has become a contentious issue at the Doha meeting. China, Russia, and Iran express disagreement with the proposal to appoint a new representative for Afghanistan. Similarly, the Taliban has voiced opposition to the appointment of a special representative.

The United Nations had previously appointed Feridun Sinirlioğlu as a special coordinator to review the situation in Afghanistan and to present proposals to the Security Council.

Afghanistan International’s reporter said that the UN if deemed necessary, can appoint a representative for Afghanistan without the agreement of the members of the Security Council.

Due to conflicting perspectives among the permanent members, the Security Council has many differences of opinion regarding the approach towards Afghanistan and the Taliban.

China and Russia have generally supported interaction with the Taliban and not isolating the group, while Western countries have prioritised the issue of human rights, especially women's rights, in their engagement with the Taliban.

Russia and China agree with the United States and Europe on the concerns raised by Western countries regarding the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the importance of upholding women's rights. They have jointly called upon the Taliban to take concrete action in response to these demands.

The AFF said that these attacks took place at Gol Sorekh roundabout and Panjshir Watt area.

On X social media platform, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) reported that the Taliban targeted multiple passenger cars at the Gol Sorekh checkpoint last week and engaged in harassment of women and girls under the guise of a security inspection.

Furthermore, the front stated that in another incident at the Panjshir Watt checkpoint, the Taliban opened fire at a car carrying several young people from Panjshir province last week, resulting in casualties.

This marks the third assault by the AFF on Taliban outposts in Kabul within the past three days.

As of now, detailed information regarding the full roster of civil society members expected to attend the Doha conference remains undisclosed.

The precise number of representatives from Afghan civil society set to participate in the conference is yet to be determined. Nonetheless, it has been reported that women will comprise half of these civil society delegates.

The conference, convened by Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is scheduled for February 18 and 19. It aims to gather representatives from various countries to discuss issues related to Afghanistan.

The Taliban has stipulated certain conditions for its attendance at the conference. The Foreign Ministry of the Taliban previously declared that Amir Khan Muttaqi would only attend the Doha conference if the group's conditions were met.