KABUL (SW) – The breakaway faction of the Taliban has vowed not to accept a proposed peace deal by the insurgent group led by Mullah Hibatullah.
In an exclusive conversation with the Salam Watandar, Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi, deputy head of the breakaway faction led by Mullah Muhammad Rasul, said they do not acknowledge the Taliban leaders who travelled from Pakistan for recent talks in Doha, Qatar. He charged them for ‘brokering’ a deal with the U.S., China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran.
Manan added Afghans must first reach a peace accord among them within the country. He went on to charge the Taliban faction led by Mullah Hibatullah for ‘deliberately killing’ its leaders in the past. The breakaway faction’s deputy leader stressed the interests of Afghanistan’s neighbors are given priority in the proposed deal discussed in Qatar.
In the meantime, political analyst, Yonus Fakoor, said there are a number of top Taliban leaders in the Queeta Shura and elsewhere who are not in favor of the talks in Doha. He added these groups might continue with the war even in case of a likely peace deal.
However, Muhib Sharif, another analyst, stressed the small breakaway factions cannot create serious hurdles in case of a peace agreement.
It is worth noticing that following the death of the former Taliban chief, Mullah Muhammad Omer, a faction led by Mullah Rasul split from the group.
SW wished to have the views of the Mullah Hibatullah faction in this connection, but to no avail.
ENDS
