Amid reports that the United States and the Taliban are closer to a potential peace agreement, the Afghan government is still arguing about an inclusive peace negotiating team to talk to the Taliban.

On Wednesday, the office of Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah confirmed that the Afghan government still had not formed a team.

“Unfortunately, until now there is no political consensus among those in the camp of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Definitely, progress in the talks involves these issues,” said Mujiburrahman Rahimi, a spokesman for CE Abdullah Abdullah, referring to the government’s peace negotiating team.

Meanwhile, political commentators have reiterated that the Afghan government must step up efforts for creating a team.

The statement comes as US President Trump has 'conditionally approved' a peace deal with the Taliban that may lead to the withdrawal of US troops as long as the Taliban can commit to a reduction in violence, according to a report in the New York Times on Tuesday.

“The politicians, the Afghan political society , still has an opportunity to get together and build a consensus on the peace process, with the reconciliation council and including some important topics that are among the red lines or the values of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Fawzia Kofi, a former member of parliament.

“There should be a political consensus to appoint an inclusive delegation to represent the entire people of Afghanistan in the talks with the Taliban so that we do not waste this opportunity,” said Mohammad Sadiq Qaderi, a member of parliament.

This comes after Mohammad Umer Daudzai, head of Ghani’s campaign team and former special envoy of the president for peace, on Sunday in a conference on peace in Kabul said that the establishment of a Loya Jirga--a grand assembly--and the reconvening of the High Council of Reconciliation, are necessary to build a national consensus about the ongoing peace process, which analysts say has reached a promising stage.