The first meeting of the leadership committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation will be held at the Presidential Palace on Saturday, said Fraidoon Khwazoon, a spokesman for the reconciliation council.

The council has been under criticism for the delay in the completion of its leadership committee that will be comprised of the country’s well-known political leaders. 

Last week, the European Union, the UK and the US missions in Kabul called for "urgent" establishment and operationalization of the council.

Sources on Wednesday said the High Council of National Reconciliation has included the names of Sayed Eshaq Gailani, Farkhundza and Shahzada Massoud to the list of 45 members of the council. 

Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the High Council of National Reconciliation, is holding regular discussions with the Afghan political leaders about the agenda of the meeting on Saturday, sources said. 

As part of these meetings, Abdullah on Thursday met with Jamiat-e-Islami leader Salahuddin Rabbani and Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, according to statements by the council. 

According to the sources, there is also the possibility that the names of Rahmatullah Nabil, former head of the National Directorate of Security, Ahmad Massoud, the son of Afghanistan’s National Hero Ahmad Shah Massoud and Ahmad Wali Massoud, former Afghan ambassador to the UK, will be included in the list.

The meeting will be held amidst a breakthrough in the peace negotiations between the delegates of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban in Doha. 

As part of the peace efforts, US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad started another round of regional trips on Afghan peace.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey said the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal in a meeting with Khalilzad on Thursday welcomed recent progress in Afghanistan peace negotiations and emphasized the importance of sustaining regional and international support for the peace process.