Taliban denies demanding interim government in recent talks with US

The matter had been reported on Sunday by the Associated Press which said that the Taliban pressed for an interim government which would be led by Abdul Sattar Sirat, an Islamic scholar who served as justice minister under King Zahir Shah.
Taliban in a statement confirmed holding three days of talks with US in Doha, but denied reports about “interim government, future president or elections.”
The statement said that the Taliban delegation discussed the “current situation of Afghanistan, insisted on the requirement of an Islamic government and finding a true solution the problems.”
The statement said that no agreement was reached on any issue as they were preliminary talks.
Peace efforts accelerated after the US appointed Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-born diplomat, as its special envoy to facilitate talks.
Speaking in Kabul after returning from Qatar, Khalilzad on Sunday expressed hope that a peace deal is reached before presidential election which is due in April next year.