US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, during his last visit to Afghanistan, explored three options for a future government with leading Afghan leaders, reported TOLOnews. 

This came as the Taliban and the Afghan government are engaged in Doha, Qatar, for the second round of the Intra-Afghan negotiation. The first offer, Khalilzad discussed, was the inclusion of the Taliban in the present government. The second was the inclusion of the current Afghan government in a political structure led by the Taliban. And the third was an interim government. 

Reports say a section of Afghan leaders and Khalilzad consider the third option as the most suitable. President Ghani, however, ruled out the possibility of the formation of an interim government before any final agreement on power-sharing. 

“My duty is to transfer the power to the successor of the government in a legal way. If this does not happen, then the people do not want the termination of power,” Ghani said last week. 

Furthermore, a close aide of former President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday said the first two options aren’t acceptable to the international community.

Interestingly, President Ghani refused to meet Khalilzad owing to his differences over the formation of the interim government. The Taliban, on the other hand, is yet to clarify its position on the issue. However, a Taliban leader earlier said they had not raised the demand for an interim government.