Under the title "Influential Figures: The Political Faces in Afghanistan," Sky News reported that since the Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani left the country, the international community has been calling for a political settlement that includes everyone. In this context, the Taliban pledged to form a "comprehensive Islamic government," but it is too early to determine the structure of this government and its participants, particularly from the officials of previous governments. However, the group has already begun meetings with prominent political figures in the country.
**Tripartite Meeting**
Anas Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network, met with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation. The Afghan channel "TOLOnews" published photos of the meeting that took place Wednesday between Haqqani (the younger brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's deputy leader), Karzai, and Abdullah. This meeting is considered preparatory, according to Karzai’s sources, for broader negotiations with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. The meeting participants did not disclose details of their discussions.
**Leader of the Islamic Party**
Haqqani also met with the leader of the "Islamic Dawah" party and former field commander, Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, without further elaboration. Sayyaf has a long history in Afghanistan, having participated in the civil war after fighters entered Kabul in the 1990s. After the fall of the Taliban, Sayyaf returned to his area in Baghlan near Kabul and continued to actively participate in Afghan political movement.
**Hekmatyar**
Adding to these influential figures in Afghanistan's internal scene is Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Islamic Party. Hekmatyar stated that his party is present to help find a solution to the crisis in Afghanistan without war. According to Taliban officials, the movement seeks to hold meetings with other influential figures from previous Afghan governments in the coming days to finalize its vision for the new government.
Most stakeholders in the Afghan file agree that judging the Taliban depends on its actions. However, the room for maneuver is limited, given the rapid military and political developments in the country.
