Despite the intense clashes ongoing in Panjshir, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen has said that the people of Panjshir are with the insurgent group. His remarks came against the backdrop of unconfirmed reports that the Taliban have captured all eight districts of the northern province, and the offer of peace talks under certain conditions by the leader of the resistance forces.

“The people of Panjshir are with us. It’s only the one per cent who are resisting,” Suhail Shaheen said in an exclusive conversation with India Today TV.

Earlier in the day, Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said on Twitter that the insurgent group had seized control of all eight districts in Panjshir with the exception of Bazarak, where fighting is underway.

Almost simultaneously, Ahmad Massoud, leader of the Panjshir resistance, issued a statement saying he was ready for peace talks if the Taliban would withdraw their forces from the region.

WHY THE DELAY IN ANNOUNCEMENT OF GOVT

Explaining the delay behind the government formation, Suhail Shaheen said that the Taliban leadership have been holding discussions with various groups, but the new, “inclusive” government would be announced any day now.

“The delay happened because we were discussing among ourselves, as well as with Afghan politicians and Islam scholars. These talks are now concluded and the announcement is expected soon, god willing,” he said.

Suhail Shaheen added that there had been consultations regarding government formation with former Afghan president Hamid Karzai and former vice-president Abdullah Abdullah, though he did not confirm whether they would be part of the Taliban-led regime.

He also did not respond to a question on whether women would allowed to participate in the new Afghan government.

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DISCORD BETWEEN TOP LEADERS?

Quelling rumours of differences between Taliban co-deputies Mullah Baradar and Sirajuddin Haqqani, Shaheen said there was no dissension among the ranks and everyone was operating under a common policy. “These reports are politically motivated and do not reflect the reality,” he said.

He also added that Taliban’s supreme commander, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, was involved in the decision-making process for the formation of the new government.

Asked about the presence of Pakistan’s ISI chief Gen Faiz Hameed in Kabul, Suhail Shaheen said he was visiting to improve bilateral ties and facilitate the reconciliation of officials of the erstwhile Afghan government who had fled to Pakistan amid the Taliban’s advances.

The Taliban spokesperson dismissed claims that Hameed was there to orchestrate a patch-up between Mullah Baradar and Sirajuddin Haqqani, who leads the Haqqani Network faction of Taliban, said to be close to the ISI.

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