ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: Who are the “moderate Taliban” whose role in a future broad-based Afghan government has been mooted by the United Nations, Pakistan and even the United States?

For the moment they remain as unknown as they are undefinable.

The United Nations was among the first to raise the possibility of a split in the ranks of the purist Islamic fundamentalist militia which has ruled the country since emerging from Islamic seminaries in Pakistan and capturing the capital Kabul in September 1996.

There are “decent people” within the Taliban, the UN special envoy to Afghanistan, Francesc Vendrell, told AFP in a recent interview, adding “it is very important for these people to lift their heads now.”

“They were people who were willing to discuss in depth and at length ideas on the future of Afghanistan, what terrorism meant, what jihad meant and what religion meant,” he said.

Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani, an Afghan spiritual leader close to exiled former king Zahir Shah, last week put forward his own definition. In an appeal for Aghans to unite, he said the process should include “those elements of the Taliban mindful of their religious and national responsibilities.”

Abdul Haq, a hero of the anti-Soviet resistance, claimed last week in Peshawar that he was in contact with “good” Taliban.

While he did not elaborate, he said the majority of the members of the Taliban could be defined as “good.”

“Decent,” “responsible” or “good,” acceptable Taliban moderates appear to be those who are primarily Afghan nationalists rather than sharing the vision of a global jihad of Saudi-born Islamic militant Osama bin Laden.

Osama is close to Taliban supreme leader Mulla Mohammad Omar and his Arab fighters have provided invaluable assistance to the militia over the years in the battle against the opposition Northern Alliance.

According to Abdul Haq, efforts are going on behind the scenes to convince members of the Taliban to abandon Mulla Omar and take part in the formation of a broad-based multi-ethnic government.

Most of the Taliban are members of Afghanistan’s ethnic Pashtun community, the country’s largest ethnic group, and a Pashtun presence is considered vital for the stability of any future government.

Few names of “Taliban moderates” have surfaced with the exception of Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel, whose disappearance from public view over the past week has led to fevered speculation in the media about his doings.

According to reports — none of which could be substantiated here — Mutawakel has either defected, begun holding secret talks with former Taliban ally Pakistan or is negotiating a secret handover of Osama with CIA agents.

A spokesman for Mulla Omar denied reports of Mutawakel’s defection as “baseless, concocted and sheer lies,” and said the foreign minister was still in Kandahar, continuing with his duties.

The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, vehemently rejected suggestions of a split in the Taliban ranks and said the embattled movement was fully behind Mulla Omar.

President Pervez Musharraf for his part insisted on Tuesday at a joint press conference with visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell that members of the Taliban should have a role to play in a future Afghan regime.

He said the process of establishing a new government could involve former king Zahir Shah, the Northern Alliance and moderate elements in the Taliban.

“Extremism is not in every Taliban,” Musharraf said. “I wouldn’t like to get into the details of who are moderates, but we know for sure there are many moderates in the Taliban.”

Asked what defined a Taliban moderate, a government official said the key dividing line would be a willingness to break with Omar.

“Not all the Taliban are like Mulla Mohammad Omar. We will support moderate elements who do not approve the disastrous policies of the leadership in Kandahar.”—AFP