KABUL - The Taliban have been planning to change the leadership of its political office in Doha, the capital of Qatar, a well-placed source within the Taliban said on Saturday.
Wishing anonymity, the source added the Taliban Leader Mullah Habatullah had dispatched three-member group headed by Maulvi Shaikh Khalid to Doha after complaints from the incumbent leadership surfaced.
According to the source Mullah Amir Khan Mutaqi, Mullah Rahmatullah Kakazada, Mullah Hamdullah Numani, Mullah Qudratullah Jamal, Mullah Salam Zaeef and some other individuals had been considered for the Taliban’s new leadership in Qatar.
With the arrival of new political team was ascertain that current members, Jan Agha and Abbas Stanikzai, held a secret meeting with Masoum Stanikzai, head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and National Security Advisor (NSA) Mohammad Hanif Atmar.
According to Quetta based Taliban, Abbas also strived to send some key Taliban members to Saudi Arabia by the request of the Kingdom in an attempt to weaken the Doha based office and pave the way for another office in Saudi Arabia.
In addition, the Taliban leadership lost trust on Abbas and there had been some complaints in the past about him as well.
According to the source the Taliban had decided to appoint new representatives to the Doha office just ahead of the launch of peace negotiation with the US.
Pajhwok strived to get the views of Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid but he could not reach for comments. (Pajhwok)