Dr Zakhilwal spoke exclusively to SBS while on his three-day visit to Australia. He says President Hamid Karzai has previously reached out to the Taliban, to bring peace to the war-torn country.
"We'll have to see how serious they are, whether they believe in the cessation of violence which they are still very much strongly advocating and also exercising in Afghanistan," Dr Zakhilwal says.
The comments come after the Taliban opened an office in Qatar, which will serve as a base for peace talks with Washington and Mr Karzai's Afghan administration.
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Dr Zakhilwal says if the Islamist group follows the rules set out in the country's constitution, there's nothing stopping it from being a legitimate political player.
"If they respect the constitution, if they run as officials and have the support of the people, they certainly could be part of the government," he says.
