KABUL - No Taliban office has officially been opened in Qatar, Afghan High Peace Council officials said on Saturday.
A key official at the High Peace Council, Masood Stanekzai, told TOLOnews in an exclusive interview that talks are still going on about conditions to open an office for the Taliban in Qatar.
Mr Stanekzai stressed that the peace talks can only be successful with the leadership of Afghans.

He emphasized that the Taliban office in Qatar should only be opened with the aim of holding peace talks.
"A lot of discussions have to be made to reach a final point of agreement. The Afghan government has already welcomed opening of a Taliban office in Qatar to facilitate peace talks," Mr Stanekzai said.

Mr Stanekzai said the US special envoy Marc Grossman, during his recent visit to Kabul, has reassured the Peace Council that the United States will support whatever Afghans want in the peace talks.
"We welcome any process that is Afghan-led and is aimed at facilitating an inter-Afghan dialogue. If we raise our steps without reaching an understanding, no positive results will be achieved," he added.

No peace will last for long if others hold direct talks instead of Afghans.
It comes as based on media reports some of the high-level Taliban representatives have already arrived in Qatar.

Mullah Omar's former secretary Mullah Tayeb Agha, former Taliban foreign minister Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, former Taliban ambassador to Saudi Arabia Shabuddin Delawar are among the Taliban representatives in Qatar, according to reports.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, has told the Daily Telegraph that official talks are to begin in Qatar in the near future. (Tolo News)