November 1, 2001	Thursday	Shaba’an 14, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: The UN secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, and the Taliban authorities on Wednesday made contradictory claims of declining each other’s request for a meeting.

Answering a question at the daily UN news briefing, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) director, Eric Falt, said that Taliban had requested a meeting with Mr Brahimi but it would not be possible this time. However, the spokesperson said that UN regional coordinator, Mike Sackett, is in contact with the Taliban authorities.

Earlier in the day, Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Zaeef, in a news conference, ruled out a meeting with the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, citing bias and indifference of UN towards atrocities in Afghanistan. “Neither Lakhdar Brahimi nor the UN is neutral. The UN envoy works for the interests of the United States,” the ambassador said.

Ambassador Zaeef said he was approached for a meeting by the UN officials. “However, when the matter was referred to the Taliban government, it was decided that it is not the mandate of the United Nations to form governments.”

The chances of meeting between the two parties fizzled out when United Nations officials on Monday said that Mr Brahimi, “will not have the time to meet the Taliban representatives because of a full schedule.”

On the same day, Afghan ambassador, Mullah Zaeef, had said that he hoped to meet UN envoy for Afghanistan on Tuesday, but after the statement of UN officials that “Mr Brahimi will not have the time to meet Taliban representatives”, the Afghan embassy took a hard-line stance and declined meeting the UN special representative.

On Wednesday, Mr Brahimi continued to hold meetings with representatives of various Afghan factions based in Islamabad.

Director UNIC said that Mr Brahimi met a group of Afghan women who are running an NGO in Peshawar. The Afghan women in their meeting expressed eagerness that peace must return to Afghanistan at the earliest.