KABUL, Apr 17 (Agencies): An upcoming conference between Afghan representatives and the Taliban appeared on Wednesday to be floundering even before it begins, with the militants deriding Kabul's plan to send 250 delegates.
President Ashraf Ghani's administration announced Tuesday a list of people from all walks of Afghan life, including some from the government, that it wants to send to the so-called intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha this weekend.
But the Taliban poured scorn on the lengthy list, saying it was not "normal" and that they had "no plans" to meet with so many people.
"The creators of (the) Kabul list must realise that this is an orderly and prearranged conference in a far-away Khaleeji (Gulf) country and not an invitation to some wedding or other party at a hotel in Kabul," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.
The Taliban - who see Ghani as a US stooge and his government as a puppet regime - also continue to insist they will not be negotiating with Kabul at the conference, and any administration officials are involved merely in a "personal capacity".
Further doubts came when some of those Ghani said would attend the conference announced they would not be going.
For instance, Atta Mohammad Noor, a key opposition figure and former governor of Balkh province, had been included on the list, which was meant as an inclusive representation of Afghan society.
But Noor said he would not go, slamming the delegation as politically biased toward Ghani.
"We won't be attending the talks with this running order," Noor tweeted Wednesday, adding he viewed the list as Ghani's "intentional act to sabotage the peace efforts".
A senior Taliban commander based in Pakistan told AFP that the mammoth delegation showed that the "Americans and their puppet Afghan government are not serious about the peaceful settlement of the issue".
The US has been holding separate bilateral peace negotiations with the Taliban in Doha as part of a months-long peace push led by Washington.
The intra-Afghan dialogue comes as part of the push, but the US is not believed to be attending.
Taliban expert Rahimullah Yusufzai told AFP that while the Afghan government needs to be inclusive in who it sends to Doha, "this is not realistic".
"I have seen in the list people who have no influence. You have to pick and chose, 250 is not manageable," Yusufzai said.
"The Afghan government is under pressure. With the elections coming, they don't want to make anyone angry. There are alliances to keep in mind," he added, referring to presidential elections set for September.
Yusufzai predicted the conference would be postponed, and that finding a new date might be tough before Ramadan begins next month.
The developments come as fresh violence rips across Afghanistan with the Taliban launching their so-called spring offensive.
The militants now control or influence about half the country, and last year was the deadliest yet for civilians.
Women will be included for the first time in the Taliban delegation to peace talks in Qatar this month, the movement's main spokesman said on Monday, ahead of the latest round of meetings aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan.
For a group notorious for its strictly conservative attitude to women's rights, the move represents a step towards addressing demands that women be included in the talks, intended to lay the foundations for a future peace settlement.
The April 19-21 meeting in Doha will be between the Taliban and a delegation comprising prominent Afghans, including opposition politicians and civil society activists. It follows similar talks between the two sides in Moscow in February.
The non-Taliban delegation that was in Moscow could be expanded next week to include some government officials, but acting in their private capacities as the insurgents have refused to hold formal talks with Kabul.
"There will be women among Taliban delegation members in the Doha, Qatar meeting," Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's main spokesman, said by telephone.
He did not name the women, but added, "These women have no family relationship with the senior members of the Taliban, they are normal Afghans, from inside and outside the country, who have been supporters and part of the struggle of the Islamic Emirate".
In a tweet, he specified that the women would only join the discussions with Afghan civil society and political representatives, not in the main negotiations with American officials, led by US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
Khalilzad has not yet set dates for the next round of talks with the Taliban, a State Department spokesperson said.
"We do not have new US talks with the Taliban to announce at this time. Before additional talks, we look forward to knowing the outcome of the intra-Afghan dialogue," the spokesperson said in an email.
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