Taliban spokesman in Qatar and Deputy Foreign Minister Sohail Shaheen has said that they are ready for talks with the United States, but these talks should be on an equal footing.
In an interview with Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, Sohail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha and deputy foreign minister, said minorities and women should be included in the cabinet soon, but that the international community should also respect the wishes of the Afghan people.
Sohail Shaheen, who is also the Taliban's nominee ambassador to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations, said in response to a question that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was ready for talks with the United States.
The deputy secretary of state added that the talks should be on an equal footing, not just on the agenda of the United States. It is not possible for one party to impose its own will.
Sohail Shaheen's statement came as the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Amirullah Mottaki, arrived in Doha with a delegation, where he will meet with Qatari officials as well as foreign representatives, including the United States.
The Taliban, meanwhile, have so far backtracked on a US proposal to include some of the previous government's cabinet members in the Islamic Emirate's cabinet, and have not represented minorities, including women.
On the other hand, girls' high schools have not yet opened and the Taliban have been criticized by human rights organizations and international forces for killing more than 10 members of the Hazara community.
It should be noted that the first one-on-one meeting between the US and Taliban representatives after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan on August 30 is expected in Qatar today or tomorrow.
