WASHINGTON: Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani held secret talks with Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada earlier this month as the Afghan’s Islamic rulers struggle to find ways to end their international isolation, a source briefed on the meeting told Reuters.
The Qatari prime minister met with the reclusive Taliban leader in Qandahar, the source said.
The source privy to the development said that United States President Joe Biden’s administration was informed about the talks as Qatar and the US were “coordinating on all issues discussed” by the two, including furthering discussions with the Taliban.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonmity, said other issues Sheikh Mohammed raised with Haibatullah included an end to the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education and women’s employment.
The meeting is a diplomatic victory for Qatar, which has criticised Taliban restrictions on women while promoting more international cooperation with Kabul through its long-standing links to the Islamist movement.
In order to restore women’s freedom of movement and usher Afghans from outside the Taliban’s ranks into the government, the United States has taken the lead in pressing the Taliban to lift the restrictions on women’s employment, especially for UN organisations and humanitarian organisations.
According to the source, Washington backed raising the level of the lower-level negotiations to achieve a breakthrough that would eliminate the world’s only bans of their nature and ameliorate the severe humanitarian and financial problems that have left tens of millions of Afghans jobless and hungry.
According to Reuters, the White House declined to comment on the discussions. Requests for a reply from the Qatari embassy in Washington and the State Department went unanswered. A request for comment from the Taliban did not immediately receive a response.
EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT BANS
Humanitarian help has been hampered by the limitations on women’s employment and education. Since the Taliban seized control in August 2021, when the Western-backed government fell to the Taliban just as the last US-led foreign forces left Afghanistan after two decades of war, these have been the main causes for why no nation has accepted Taliban leadership.
According to a UN study delivered in March before the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the abuse of women and children by the Taliban may constitute a crime against humanity. According to the Taliban’s view of Islamic law and Afghan culture, they support women’s rights.
Hardline Islamist Haibatullah hasn’t showed any inclination to budge on his rules.
However, Haibatullah’s discussion with Sheikh Mohammed shows that he is receptive to looking at ways to break Afghanistan’s isolation and strengthen humanitarian efforts as the nation descends into famine and poverty.
The source said, “It was a really productive meeting. Haibatullah was “very interested” in carrying on a conversation with the world community.”
Given their treatment of women and track record about human rights, however, it was far from certain that other nations would ever recognise the Taliban government as its top members remain subject to US and international sanctions.
The source said Sheikh Mohammed raised with Haibatullah the need to lift the curbs on women’s education and employment, including the bar on them working for UN agencies and other humanitarian groups.
Since January, the Taliban government has made promises to create formal regulations permitting humanitarian organisations to employ women.
In March 2022, the Taliban barred girls from attending high schools, and in December they expanded the prohibition to include colleges.
They claim that after “conditions” have been satisfied, such as creating an Islamic curriculum, secondary schools would once again admit girls.
