Afghan gov’t delegation, Taliban to talk peace in Qatar: Official

Doha talks will be led by Abdullah Abdullah, with ex-President Hamid Karzai among delegates, says an Afghan official.

A high-powered Afghanistan government delegation, which will include the head of the country’s reconciliation council, is to meet the Taliban in Qatar to jumpstart a long-stalled peace process, says an Afghan official, according to a report by The Associated Press news agency. The Taliban is expected to bring its senior leaders to the table when the two sides meet, possibly on Friday, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief reporters, on Tuesday. The Taliban maintains a political office in the Qatari capital of Doha.