Afghan delegation and Taliban to talk peace in Qatar, say officials

Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai (Rahmat Gul/AP)

A high-powered Afghan government delegation, which will include the head of the country’s reconciliation council, is to meet the Taliban in Doha to jump-start a long-stalled peace process, two Afghan officials have said.

The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said the Taliban were expected to bring their senior leaders to the table when the two sides meet, possibly on Friday.