Taliban delegation to attend Moscow peace moot today

PESHAWAR: A 14-member delegation of the Afghan Taliban on Monday left for Russia to participate in a peace conference being held today (Tuesday) in Moscow, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has confirmed.

Taliban deputy leader and head of their Qatar-based political commission, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is leading the Afghan delegation. It is the first time Mullah Baradar has left Qatar, where he had been based for some time after his arrival last year to lead the Taliban political office and personally oversee their peace negotiations with the United States, and participate in an event.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the purpose of the visit was to mark 100 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Afghanistan. According to Taliban sources, no other country, such as the United States and Afghanistan, was participating in the conference.

However, Taliban sources said Afghan politicians, tribal elders and religious scholars were expected to attend the Moscow conference. Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai is also expected to participate in the conference. He and several other Afghan leaders had participated in the previous conference in Moscow.

After the main event, Taliban spokesman said the delegation would hold discussions about future of Afghanistan with a number of Afghan politicians in an intra-Afghan conference scheduled for May 29 in Moscow. He said the delegation members would also hold closed-door meetings with senior officials of Russia.