From Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Feb 17 (PTI) President Hamid Karzai today said that the US cannot hold talks with Taliban on behalf of the Afghan government, which alone will decide the venue for any negotiations with the militant group. Karzai made it clear that the US is not talking to the Taliban on behalf of the Afghan government. During a breakfast interaction with Pakistani television anchors and columnists, Karzai said that the Afghan government would choose the venue for any parleys with the Taliban. "We will hold talks with the Taliban either in Saudi Arabia or Turkey," Karzai was quoted as saying by Pakistani news channels. Karzai's remarks came against the backdrop of reports that Afghan Taliban had opened a political office in Qatar and held exploratory talks with US officials in the Gulf state. A Taliban spokesman said last week that the office in Qatar was opened at their suggestion. But the Afghan President told the anchors and columnists that that the US cannot hold talks with the Taliban on behalf of his government. Karzai is currently in Islamabad for a trilateral summit of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan being hosted by President Asif Ali Zardari. Ahead of his arrival in Islamabad yesterday, Karzai told an American newspaper that his government had joined talks with the Taliban. The Taliban quickly rejected Karzai's claim. Militant spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Taliban representatives had not held talks with the "powerless" government in Kabul anywhere and that the Taliban had no intention of negotiating with Karzai's administration. MORE
