Talks between Afghan Taliban and the United States failed to make any headway despite the fact that the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was in Doha to help the process succeed.
The talks between Taliban and the US continued for five days in Doha but concluded without any result. Though, according to sources, the US negotiators assured to meet most of their demands, the Taliban representatives did not show any inclination that they had confidence in the assurances. Taliban insisted on the release of all their prisoners first and refused to accept the government of President Hamid Karzai.
They said Maulana Fazlur Rehman was specially invited to Qatar to act as a guarantor but Taliban refused to accept him in that role.
According to inside sources, Taliban representatives did not give due courtesy to Maulana Fazlur Rehman and refused to meet him, an indication that they have no confidence in him.
The US-Afghan Taliban talks were the result of efforts of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.
A spokesman for the JUI-F, commenting on the reports, said Maulana Fazlur Rehman had gone to Qatar on a private visit and never tried to meet Taliban representatives.
However, sources insisted that Maulana had gone to Qatar on the request of the United States and stayed at a costly hotel “Ritz-Carlton” where a room costs $4,000 per day.