KABUL - Members of the peace negotiating team representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have said that the Taliban has so far failed to define their Islamic political system, which has been announced in relation to the peace process, and the group's intentions for Afghanistan's future.
They said that the Taliban continues to talk about the Islamic politics and the political system, however they are not able to come up with a clear definition about it.
Members of the republic team also said that the Taliban’s ideology has not changed despite reports in the Western media that the group’s ideas and views had changed.
“The Taliban have the same views they had 25 years ago about  women, music, arts, elections, freedom of speech and human rights,” members of the republic team said.
“My understanding is that the Taliban’s ideology is the same ideology that they had 25 years ago, the Taliban’s views about Shia women, elections, music, arts and human rights have not changed,” said Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a member of the peace negotiating team representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the talks with the Taliban.
“When you see the demands of the Taliban, they have been insisting on some major and unnecessary demands, therefore, there is a need for consultation about these issues with the political leaders,” said Ghulam Farooq Majroh, a member of the peace negotiating team representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the talks with the Taliban.
Issues around human rights, women’s liberties and the Taliban’s views about civil liberties based on Islamic principles are said to be among the controversial issues in the talks.
“The understanding that the Taliban have about the religious definition of rights of the women is something that we have seen during their government,” said Fawzia Koofi, a member of the peace negotiating team representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
The Taliban at the moment did not have a comment on the issue.
However, Afghans inside the country have been pushing to preserve the gains the country has made in its move toward democracy over the past two decades.
According to the republic's team, the most important difference of opinion between the two delegations in the second round of negotiations will be the nature of the future system and the agreement to call a ceasefire.

The Taliban have said that they will agree to a ceasefire along with an agreement on the structure of the future political system. However, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is insisting that a ceasefire be put in place before talking about the government's structure. (TOLO NEWS)