Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for

Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group. A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls -- which has divided opinion in the movement -- would be discussed. But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.

Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group. A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls -- which has divided opinion in the movement -- would be discussed. But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group. A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls -- which has divided opinion in the movement -- would be discussed. But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group. A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls -- which has divided opinion in the movement -- would be discussed. But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group. A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls -- which has divided opinion in the movement -- would be discussed. But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group. A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls -- which has divided opinion in the movement -- would be discussed. But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group. A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls -- which has divided opinion in the movement -- would be discussed. But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Taliban leaders in Qatar later Thursday for talks on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population rather than the Islamist group. A Taliban source told AFP this week that criticism of the regime would be allowed at the three-day jirga, and thorny issues such as the education of girls -- which has divided opinion in the movement -- would be discussed. But women would not be allowed to attend, with deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi telling state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday there was no need because they would be represented by male relatives.Kabul: Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule. Officials have provided scant details of the "jirga" -- a traditional gathering of influential people that settles differences by consensus -- and the media is also barred from attending. It comes a week after a powerful earthquake struck the east of the country killing over 1,000 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Even before the quake, the Taliban were struggling to administer a country that had long been suffering from economic malaise, utterly dependent on foreign aid that dried up with the overthrow of the Western-backed government in August. Officials from the United States were due to meet senior Ta