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Political parties mull US peace plan that ‘offers’ Taliban 50%
Members of a number of different political parties said Tuesday that under the new US plan for a transitional government, the Taliban has been offered a 50 percent stake in the system with the balance shared between politicians and government.
The sources said they have been in consultations regarding the proposal delivered by US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad last week.
Meanwhile, sources from the Jamiat-e-Islami party said they proposed the power-sharing plan to the US – but said it should be divided up equally between government, political parties, and the Taliban.
Other sources have meanwhile said the Taliban and government have been offered an equal share in provincial seats, ministry representation, seats in the National Assembly, and in the judiciary institutions.
“We are consulting on the plan but we do not accept it. Power should be divided between three players: government, the political parties, and the Taliban,” said Abdul Sattar Murad, a senior member of Jamiat-e-Islami.
The Taliban, have not however commented on this but said on Sunday night they were reviewing the proposal.
First Vice President Amrullah Saleh meanwhile said on Monday that Afghanistan will never accept demands that could jeopardize the people’s right to vote.
He said the letter sent out by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to key stakeholders, was a proposal for a new political structure in Afghanistan, and that it was “shameful” and he would “resist it”.
“Let me be clear I will not sign it,” Saleh said.
But some politicians are on board with the idea and said a “participatory system” under the umbrella of the Republic was acceptable. Others have said they are still discussing the proposal.
“This US plan is not final. It has the ability to change and be adjusted. Politicians will sit down and come to a general conclusion about this plan. The Moscow-Ankara meeting has been used for this plan,” said Hafiz-Ur-Rahman Naqi, the deputy head of Hizb-e-Islami in reference to a planned peace meeting in Moscow next week and a proposed summit in Turkey at a later stage.
According to sources, the US peace plan for Afghanistan also states that the Republic and the Taliban will have an equal say in selecting members of a transitional government within the framework of peace.
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Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
Kyrgyzstan has completed major construction work on its territory under the regional energy project CASA-1000, according to a recent report by the Eurasian Stabilization and Development Fund (ESDF). With key infrastructure now in place, further progress on the project depends on the completion of construction in Afghanistan, which is expected by the end of 2027.
The report notes that Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan have largely finalized their respective infrastructure components and are now awaiting the completion of the Afghan section before moving forward with full operational stages.
The CASA-1000 project, valued at approximately $1.2 billion, aims to establish a high-voltage electricity transmission line linking Central and South Asia. The initiative is designed to enable Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to export surplus hydropower during summer months, when electricity demand rises in Pakistan and Afghanistan due to increased use of cooling systems.
Construction work in Afghanistan was suspended in August 2021, at a stage when only about 18 percent of transmission structures had been installed, although more than 90 percent of equipment had already been delivered to the country. Following extended negotiations and security assurances, work on the Afghan section resumed in December 2024.
ESDF experts say that once construction in Afghanistan is completed, participating countries will be able to begin technical testing of the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system. A full launch of the regional energy corridor is expected by the end of 2027, marking a significant milestone in regional energy integration between Central and South Asia.
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