Pakistan decides to participate in Doha negotiations on Afghanistan

Pakistan has decided to participate in the dialogue on Afghanistan this week in Doha, Qatar, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Durrani and Ahmad Naseem Waraich will represent Pakistan.

Diplomatic sources said Ahmed Naseem Waraich is the Assistant Secretary for West Asia in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Pakistani delegation led by Asif Durrani and Ahmad Naseem Waraich will leave for Doha in the next few days, diplomatic sources said.

Sources said that the third 2-day Doha talks hosted by the United Nations will begin on June 30.

The Afghan Interim Government will regularly participate in the third Doha talks and conference this year.

The Afghan Taliban interim government had boycotted the participation of Afghan women and civil society representatives in the last second Doha talks, diplomatic sources said.

For the first time, special representatives on Afghanistan from around the world will sit in front of the Afghan Taliban in the Doha talks.

The United Nations is consulting with Afghan civil society representatives inside and outside Afghanistan ahead of the Doha talks.

Afghan civil society and women's representatives will discuss with special representatives on Afghanistan on June 2 after the Doha talks.

Progress on the recognition of the Afghan Taliban, Afghanistan's interim government is unlikely in the third Doha talks, diplomatic sources said.

In the third Doha talks, there will be discussions on Afghanistan's security situation, anti-narcotics in Afghanistan, discouragement of poppy cultivation, environmental changes and public health situation, sources said.

Priority will be given to discussing investment opportunities in Afghanistan, frozen assets, financial assistance and main banking channels in Afghanistan, diplomatic sources said.

Sources further said that diplomats and special representatives of 25 countries are expected to participate in the third Doha talks.

Several special envoys for Afghanistan, including Thomas West of the United States, Zhou Xiaoying of China, Hassan Kazemi Qomi of Iran, Thomas Nicholson of the European Union and Nigel Casey of the United Kingdom are participating in the Doha talks, diplomatic sources said.

UN Secretary General António Guterres and Special Representative Roza Otunbayeva will also participate in the Doha talks, diplomatic sources said.