Afghanistan .. Taliban refuse to attend the Istanbul conference on the proposed date and explain their reasons

Al-Jazeera correspondent in Afghanistan quoted a spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, Muhammad Naim, as saying that the movement’s representatives would not participate in the Istanbul conference on Afghan peace if it was held on the 16th of this month.

The movement says that it is not currently ready to participate in this conference, and that its agenda is unclear.

On the other hand, the US embassy in Kabul said that the US envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, had ended a visit, which it described as fruitful, to Afghanistan.

The embassy added in a statement that Khalilzad met government leaders, politicians and civil society activists to discuss preparations for the Istanbul conference.

Khalilzad called on the Afghan parties to accelerate the peace process, stressing the United States' permanent partnership with Afghanistan.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Yunus Ait Yassin said that the Taliban’s position is an indirect response to what the US envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on his visit to Kabul over a period of 4 days, as he carried proposals to hold the peace conference on the 16th of this month, and the date of the 25th of the Hashr was also presented. The same to hold the conference hosted by Turkey.

The correspondent indicated that the government parties in Afghanistan are ready to participate in the conference if it is held on the 16th, and that the Afghan Supreme Committee for National Reconciliation has agreed to proposals to form a transitional government that would assume all the powers in place of the current authority, with the participation or consent of all parties, provided that it assumes the integration of armed men of various sects. In the national security services, inclusive consultations are held to write a new constitution and then hold a referendum on it and organize general elections.

The correspondent said that the Taliban made it clear that they are not concerned with those dates, and that the analyzes indicate that the movement wants to wait until after the first date of next May until it becomes clear that the US position on the stay of its forces in Afghanistan.

It is assumed that the US forces will withdraw by that date according to the peace agreement signed between the Taliban and the former US administration in February of last year, but the current administration says it is reviewing the status quo and will not rush the withdrawal of troops.