The US statement reads that forging an inclusive government in which all the people have a say will be dominating the agenda of Thomas West with the Taliban….reports Asian Lite News
US special representative to Afghanistan, Thomas West on Monday will discuss the establishment of an all-inclusive government in Kabul with the 15-member delegation of the Taliban which is in Norway.
Earlier, State Department in a statement released on Sunday, January 23, said that the meeting is supposed to take place on Monday, in the Norwegian capital Oslo, according to Khaama Press News Agency.
The statement reads that forging an inclusive government in which all the people have a say will be dominating the agenda of Thomas West with the Taliban.
In the meantime, counterterrorism and the US security concerns from Afghanistan will also be discussed in the meeting.
Meanwhile, an official of the State Department has reiterated that inclusivity of Afghan government, addressing the ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis, security concerns, counterterrorism, human rights, and girls’ education will be part of the agenda between the US envoy and the Taliban, according to Khaama Press.
Further, the Taliban are optimistic of the three-day visit to Oslo and said that the meeting will be helpful in changing a warring situation into a peaceful one, as reported by Khaama Press.
Missing Afghan women activists
Meanwhile, the UN’s top envoy in Afghanistan met Taliban’s interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani in Kabul on Monday, where she asked the leadership of the Islamist group to probe the issue of missing Afghan women activists.
Taman Zaryabi Paryani and Parawana Ibrahimkhel were abducted from their homes by the Taliban last week. The United Nations had earlier said it was concerned about the disappearance of Afghan rights activists.
“In a meeting with Sirajuddin Haqqani in Kabul today @moiafghanistan, UN envoy @DeborahLyonsUN urged the Taliban leadership to probe the issue and secure the liberty of the missing Afghan women activists who were reportedly abducted from their homes last week,” the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet.
Last week, the UN mission in Afghanistan had called on the Taliban to account for the whereabouts of the activists.
“The UN shares growing concerns about the disappearance of two Afghan women activists, Tamana Zaryabi Paryani and Parawana Ibrahimkhel, reportedly abducted from their homes overnight Wednesday. We urge Taliban to provide information on their whereabouts and to protect rights of all Afghans,” the organization had said on Twitter.
Last month, the Taliban had issued a decree on women’s basic rights and urged relevant institutions to take action to enforce them.
However, many women have repeatedly taken to the streets of Afghan cities to call on the authorities to respect their rights and ensure representation in the government.
Last week, the UN International Labour Organization said that after the Taliban takeover, employment of women in Afghanistan declined by 16 per cent. (ANI)
