QUETTA, Nov 18: Taliban’s chief commander Haji Bashar has reportedly agreed to give up Kandahar but his fellow commanders are refusing to budge and have sought more time for arriving at a decision from a team of tribal elders.

“The negotiation team (of tribal elders) is still in Kandahar for further talks with Taliban commanders on peaceful transfer of power,” Zulmay Afzali, a spokesman for a faction of Pakhtoon tribal commanders led by Haji Abdul Khaliq Nurzai, told reporters here on Sunday night.

“We have given a deadline to the Taliban for surrender,” he said, but would not disclose the date fixed. The Taliban will face military operation if they failed to act, he added.

“We are hopeful about the outcome of negotiations,” he said.

Replying to a question, he said: “If Taliban give up, their induction in the future Afghan setup could not be ruled out.”

He declared Osama a terrorist who, he said, was responsible for the killing of Afghans and would not be spared. However, if Mulla Omer cooperates in peaceful transfer of power, the Pakhtoon tribes would protect him, he said.

Asked if the Northern Alliance had established any contact with their group, he replied in the affirmative, saying their foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah communicated with the tribal elders on Sunday for the first time and assured them of all possible cooperation.

He claimed that the tribal commanders group enjoyed the backing of ex-king Zahir Shah who supported their efforts at peaceful transfer of power.

When the delegation, comprising important tribal elders, reached Kandahar, the local commanders took its members into custody for some misunderstanding, he said. However, they were released after some time when Haji Bashar got to know about their arrival in Kandahar.

Two rounds of talks were held between the two sides after the delegation’s release.