Not Surprised That Taliban Did Not Participate In Doha Meet, Says US State Department Spox

Several sources close to the Taliban told Abdulhaq Omari, a journalist for the Pashto section of Afghanistan International, that Tajmir Jawad had met with suicide attackers on February 18.

The sources said that the group’s suicide attackers reside at the house of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founder of the Taliban, in Zherai district of Kandahar.

During the meeting with the suicide attackers, Jawad referred to Mullah Mohammad Omar's house, and said, "In this humble mud house, the Islamic movement of the Taliban was founded, and once again, the opportunity to establish an Islamic regime has been obtained."

The Taliban's intelligence deputy told the suicide attackers that their comrades have supported the Afghan Taliban movement with their blood and that they will protect this regime, which has been achieved through "jihad" and struggle, with their own blood”.

He also stated, "We were and are suicide bombers, and whenever necessary, you and I will be the first to carry out suicide [martyrdom] operations to protect and defend this regime."

Although Mullah Hibatullah has relocated all suicide fighters to specific units of this group, sources told Afghanistan International that Tajmir Jawad also oversees the "Al-Hamza Martyrdom Battalion" in Kabul, which has been deployed to other provinces for combat, when needed.

Tajmir Jawad is a key member of the Haqqani network, previously accused by the former Afghan government of involvement in deadly attacks on civilian targets.

The Kabul University attack on November 2, 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 22 students and left more than 40 others wounded, is one of the charges against him by the former government. Although ISIS-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack.

This Haqqani network member is also considered the mastermind behind the attack on Kabul Bank in Nangarhar, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians.

She added that the Hazara community in Afghanistan and Pakistan is persecuted by the Taliban and other extremist groups.

According to her, many of the refugees who fled Afghanistan and came to Britain following the Taliban’s takeover of power are Hazaras.

Kennedy added that she conducted an inquiry last year which showcased how Hazaras face severe threats from the Taliban and "other extremist groups”.

According to Kennedy, Hazara refugees will not be safe in Rwanda due to their religious beliefs.

The British government plans to send asylum seekers who enter the UK in small boats via the sea route to Rwanda for processing. This plan faces widespread opposition within the UK.

Earlier last year, the British Supreme Court declared this plan illegal.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir underscored the Taliban's commitment to ensuring a "positive and meaningful" involvement in the forthcoming United Nations gatherings.

As reported by Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), under Taliban control, Abdul Kabir, during his discussion with the Japanese Ambassador in Afghanistan, pointed out that the Taliban were primed for involvement in the Doha conference under specific prerequisites they had established. However, he lamented that the organisers of the meeting failed to seize this opportunity.

Furthermore, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban expressed his optimism towards the remarks made by the UN Secretary-General about future conferences on Afghanistan, indicating the Taliban's optimistic outlook toward these engagements.

Shaheen, in an interview with NHK, a Japanese broadcaster, emphasised that such a representative would meddle in Afghan affairs. He firmly declared the Taliban's refusal to acknowledge any special envoy from the UN.

Shaheen expressed concerns that the new envoy could enforce unwelcome decisions upon Afghanistan.

This stance is consistent with the Taliban's continued resistance to the appointment of a UN special representative to the country over the past few months.

Nonetheless, after the Doha conference, António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, conveyed in a press briefing, the immediate initiation of discussions for appointing a new UN special representative for Afghanistan.

Guterres noted the consideration of a plan for the UN special representative to devise a "sustainable framework" addressing Afghan-related issues.

Shaheen appealed to the global community for the recognition of the Taliban, asserting the faction's desire for normalised international relations.

Furthermore, the UN Secretary-General committed to organising a third meeting in Doha about Afghanistan's future, expressing optimism for the Taliban's involvement in the forthcoming dialogue.

Similarly, the Russian delegation also opted out of participating in a session with Afghan attendees in Doha.

Till now, the Islamic Republic's officials have not yet issued an official statement regarding their representative's non-engagement with Afghan participants during the Doha discussions.

Sources present in Doha disclosed that on the conference's second day, special envoys from various nations engaged in a collective meeting with figures from Afghan civil society and women's groups.

It was also reported that delegates from certain countries held separate dialogues with Afghan participants of the Doha meeting.

Nonetheless, envoys from Russia and Iran decided against joining any meeting that included Afghan representatives in Doha.

The Russian Foreign Ministry shed light on this decision, alleging that the selection of these representatives occurred "in a non-transparent way" without the Taliban's approval.

Representatives for Afghan civil society and women at the Doha conference included Shahgul Rezaie, Mahbouba Seraj, Metra Mehran, Faiz Zaland, and Lotfullah Najafizada.

The Taliban's stipulations for attending the Doha event were rebuffed, leading to the absence of the group's representatives from Qatar. A notable demand from the Taliban was their insistence on being the exclusive representatives of the Afghan populace at the meeting.