Another conference on Afghanistan in Doha, Taliban absent

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is being discussed in this meeting called by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Doha on February 18 and 19.

The international conference called by the Secretary General of the United Nations on the issue of Afghanistan is starting today in Doha , the capital of Qatar. However, the Afghan Taliban have not assured their participation in this meeting .

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has convened a meeting on Afghanistan in Doha on February 18 and 19 to discuss the ongoing humanitarian and human rights crisis and the recent report of the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan, Fereydoun Sanirlivuolu. .

Special envoys of UN member states and international organizations will participate in this meeting. Afghan civil society, representatives of women's groups and Taliban officials have also been invited.

Iran's special envoy for Afghanistan, Hassan Kazimi Qomi, however, said that "Taliban has set two important conditions for participating in the Doha meeting."

He did not provide details about these conditions.

Why is the United Nations organizing this conference?

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened an initial conference of the world's special envoys for Afghanistan in May 2023 (in Doha) to address the potentially destabilizing situation in Afghanistan, including a failing economy and including the Taliban's increasingly restrictive policies on women's rights;

After 31 months of Taliban rule, the international community is grappling with the fact that the Taliban are consolidating their rule and are unwilling to bow to international pressure.

These concerns had a direct impact on the United Nations in late 2022 and into 2023 when Taliban officials imposed restrictions on Afghan women working with NGOs and even UN staff to deliver aid and assistance. why

Last spring, the UN Security Council also called for an independent review of international relations with Afghanistan. A special coordinator was appointed for this purpose and tasked with presenting proposals to the Council by November 2023.

Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Durrani will lead the Pakistani delegation at the meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan in Doha.

Ambassador Asif Durrani, Pakistan's Special Representative on Afghanistan, will lead the Pakistan delegation at the Meeting of the Special Envoys on Afghanistan to be held on 18-19 February 2024 in Doha. The meeting is being convened by the UN Secretary-General to discuss…

According to a statement from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan's participation in the meeting is part of our efforts to actively engage with the international community, including the United Nations, to strengthen efforts for sustainable peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.

The report by the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan, Fereydoun Sanirliwaulu, urged donors to continue and strengthen ties, development assistance and economic integration with Afghanistan for the benefit of the Afghan people despite the challenges of dealing with the Taliban. make

The review recommended a roadmap for Afghanistan's reintegration into the international economic and political system, contingent on the Taliban fulfilling Afghanistan's international legal and treaty obligations.

This process will increase linkages and support with the Taliban's implementation and implementation of key commitments related to women's rights, human rights and security and other concerns. The review also recommends that a UN Special Envoy be appointed to promote international engagement and to link different approaches and platforms.

The Security Council endorsed the report's recommendations in a resolution (but without the support of Russia and China). Antonio Guterres and many donors hope that the Doha conference will help build consensus on a collective action or roadmap, as suggested in the review.

The conference will outline the next steps to improve the situation in Afghanistan and work with the Taliban government.

Analysts believe that many Taliban ministers and key officials want to talk to the world about women's education. Some Afghan leaders, diplomatic sources and UN officials who are in constant contact with the Taliban say that the majority of Taliban cabinet members, governors, military commanders and clerics want to solve the problem of women's education as soon as possible. .

Senior journalist Sami Yousafzai says that the western diplomats in Islamabad say that apart from Maulvi Yaqoob, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Deputy Minister Mullah Baradar, Maulvi Abdul Kabir and Malahanfi, Education Minister Mullah Hasan is also of the opinion that women should be included in the realm of Sharia. The right to education should be given.

The United Nations and foreign diplomats say that the majority of the Taliban based in Kabul feel powerless about women's work and restrictions, but the position of Mullah Haibatullah, the leader of the movement in Kandahar, has not changed so far. has been seen.

There have been occasions in the past when the Taliban would defy protocol to meet a foreign official or attend a low-key conference. However, he is now reluctant to attend the Doha Conference.

The question arises as to why the Taliban are showing less interest in participating in the Doha Conference than in the past.

One: The Taliban expect to attend the Doha Conference as representatives of a legitimate and accepted government to the world and not as a group blacklisted by the United Nations and some countries. In other conferences they have been invited as a group rather than as a government.

Two: The possibility of appointing a UN Special Envoy for the Taliban is a cause for concern. An assessment of the situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban administration has recommended the appointment of a special envoy.

The UN Security Council, considering the contents of this report, forced the Secretary-General of the organization to appoint a special envoy for Afghanistan through Resolution 2721 (2023), which the Taliban has clearly opposed. China and Russia also abstained from voting on this resolution. Iran has also opposed it and termed this type of deployment as harmful for Afghanistan.

A comprehensive discussion on this appointment is expected during this conference. According to some reports, the discussion at the Doha conference may revolve around who should be appointed as a special envoy, with what qualifications and from which country. If this happens, the Taliban and the countries supporting the group will stand against the move and will have no choice but to reject the conference resolution.

Three: It is clear that the UN did not invite the anti-Taliban forces because the organization is more inclined to mediate with the Taliban than with the anti-Taliban factions. However, some anti-Taliban factions have repeatedly demanded to participate in the Doha Conference. It seems that women and civil society have however been invited to stop the protests. The absence of anti-Taliban factions at the conference has made the Taliban stronger and more demanding of the hosts.

Qatar has hosted the group for many consecutive years. Qatar, as the host of the conference, may interfere in its conduct, content and potential outcomes. So the Taliban are trying to score as many points as possible, not settle for less.

Declaration of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Doha meeting

Regarding the Doha meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has said in its statement that for the past two and a half years, the Islamic Emirate has been making efforts to strengthen the political, administrative, security, economic and social foundations of Afghanistan. Good progress has also been made in mutual relations.

Apart from this, there have been regular discussions with the United Nations, especially the United States and Western countries, through several channels on unilateral and illegal sanctions, black and review lists, and the release of Afghanistan Bank reserves.

"Islamic Emirate believes that the conference of special representatives of several countries for Afghanistan under the leadership of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, in Doha, the capital of Qatar, was another good opportunity to have productive discussions on the points of disagreement."

According to the statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clear to the United Nations that if the Islamic Emirate participates as the only responsible party on behalf of Afghanistan and there is a clear dialogue between the Afghan delegation and the United Nations at a high level in the Doha meeting. Participation in the conference would be useful, but due to the lack of progress in this regard, participation on the part of the Islamic Emirate was not considered fruitful.

It is worth noting that if the United Nations realizes the current facts and does not come under the influence of certain forces, does not come under pressure and considers the point that the current system in Afghanistan is not under the influence of anyone like the last 20 years. , so there is a possibility of progress in the negotiations with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The last two and a half years of relations between the Islamic Emirate and the countries of the region have proved that if the failed experiences of the last 20 years are avoided. If a realistic and practical approach is adopted instead of one-sided forced decisions, accusations and pressure, bilateral relations can be developed with other parties.

PTI's nominee for Prime Minister Umar Ayub made it clear that he will go individually to seek votes and not under party policy.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf 's (PTI) prime ministerial candidate Umar Ayub announced on Sunday that he will seek votes from all parties in the prime ministerial election.

PTI chief organizer Umar Ayub Khan, who went into self-imposed hiding after May 9, today held a press conference at the central secretariat of PTI in Islamabad and gave his first interview after almost 10 months.

Earlier he has been participating in talk shows of various online TV channels.

Umar Ayub said that since May 9, there was no pressure on him to change his allegiance and no one tried to contact him.

Umar Ayub was asked whether he would seek votes from Pakistan People's Party for the election of the Prime Minister, so he said that votes are sought from everyone in the parliamentary system.

"During the election, we also go to the houses of our opponents, it is their choice to vote or not." '

Umar Ayub further said that 'We will ask for votes from everyone, but we are not joining PPP or Pakistan Muslim League-N.'

According to PTI's prime ministerial candidate, he will go individually to seek votes and not under party policy.

He did not rule out the possibility of meeting Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and said that a meeting with him would be looked into.

Umar Ayub denied the news of joining the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf parliamentarian in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said that neither Pervez Khattak nor Mehmood Khan will be discussed.

He said that it is premature to talk about the meeting between PTI founder Imran Khan and Jamiat Ulema Islam Pakistan chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Imran Khan had given authority to Asad Qaiser to go to Maulana and discuss the same agenda which is rigged. '

He said that the parties to be affiliated with in the provinces including the federation will be announced by tomorrow.

He said that the proposal to pardon the sentences of Imran Khan through the President has not been discussed in any meeting so far.