Afghan Political Activists Convene Behind Closed Doors in Istanbul

Sources from Türkiye have informed Afghanistan International that on Thursday, a closed-door meeting was held in Istanbul, gathering a group of Afghan political activists and officials from Afghanistan’s former government.

The meeting was reportedly hosted by Hikmat Khalil Karzai and Idris Zaman.

A copy of the agenda obtained by Afghanistan International indicates that attendees of this “First Session of the National Dialogue Process” discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and explored “pathways to overcoming the existing challenges in achieving political stability.”

Among those in attendance were prominent women’s rights activists, including Shukria Barakzai, Fawzia Koofi, and Shahgul Rezai. Additionally, former Afghan government officials, such as Mustafa Mastoor, the former Minister of Economy, and Ali Ahmad Osmani, the former Minister of Energy and Water, were present.

Sources also reported the participation of political activists Jafar Mahdawi and Abdul Qayum Sajjadi, who travelled from Kabul for the meeting. The guest list further included religious figures, such as Abdul Salam Abed.

According to sources, the meeting commenced on Thursday in Istanbul and is expected to continue into Friday. As of now, none of the participants have provided comments on the meeting’s objectives or specifics.

This meeting comes as preparations are underway for the fourth round of Doha Talks on Afghanistan, hosted by the United Nations. On October 29, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Qatar’s representative to the UN, had held discussions with Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General, regarding the forthcoming Doha Talks. The exact date for this session is yet to be determined.