Afghanistan's leaders responsible for failure of intra-Afghan peace talks

According to former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, Afghanistan's leaders are responsible for the failure of the intra-Afghan peace talks. In an exclusive interview with TOLO News yesterday, Mr Khalilzad said that days before Kabul collapsed, it was decided that all parties should agree to an inclusive government.

According to the former US envoy, a few days before Kabul's collapse, he was in Doha where he talked with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the current Prime Minister Deputy of the Islamic Emirate, and they agreed to hold talks with the Afghan politicians and a delegation from the then-Afghan Government on forming an inclusive interim government.

Mr Khalilzad said, the Taliban had agreed to not enter Kabul until an inclusive



government was formed. He said that it was decided that any decision the delegation would make in Doha about an inclusive government would be final and Ashraf Ghani had accepted this. Mr Khalilzad, however, said both the former Afghan Government and the Taliban are responsible for the failure of the intra-Afghan talks intended to bring peace to the country.

During the peace talks, the US had discussed a power-sharing government with the Taliban, but Ashraf Ghani's Administration was reluctant to form such a government. Mr Khalilzad said, amid the increase in fighting in the months prior to August, the US pressured the Taliban and they agreed to not attack cities and highways. He said the government in Kabul was insisting on an immediate ceasefire.