Talking to Afghan Taliban

Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema
Email:picheema@ipripak.org

Many analysts have repeatedly asserted that there is no harm to talk to Taliban. A direct communication between the government officials and the leaders of Taliban may be able to work out some viable way out of the incumbent quagmire. Besides, talks are deemed to useful at least in terms of comprehending the exact limits to which parties involved could go. To shut down the communication channel and relying solely upon military approaches have never been able to resolve the situation. Admittedly the military approach can provide a short term respite but to secure a long term solution, one has to initiate dialogue. For years many writers and well wishers of the Afghan people have been suggesting to initiate dialogue but perhaps the inherent weakness of the existing government in Afghanistan kept on postponing the dialogue. It is indeed a welcome development that the idea of talking to Taliban is gaining increasing support within the Afghan society. Not only the important Afghans are now supporting this approach but even the outsider is seriously pushing it.

An opposition Afghan group including the former president Rabbani and Fahim along with other important leaders met the Taliban leaders in the hope that negotiation process could end the ever increasing violence in Afghanistan. According to former president Rabbani who is now a member of Afghan parliament six year war must be ended through talks. ‘There is no doubt that some inside the Taliban are not willing to negotiate, but there are some Taliban who are interested in solving problems through talks’, said Rabbani. ‘We in the National Front and myself believe the solution for political process will happen through negotiations’, he said.

Support for negotiated settlement in order to end increasing blood Afghan conflict is on the increase. Last year in April 2007 even the incumbent President Karazai also expressed that he has met some Taliban leaders. In a press conference last month president Karazai said that the efforts of National Front are good for the country. Former president Rabbani also asserted recently that opposition leaders will soon discuss and possibly select a formal negotiating team. Similarly the signals are coming out of Taliban camps for sending a team for talks with the government.

Not only the local Afghan leaders are expressing their support for a negotiated settlement but even the concerned outsiders are also sending clear signals for some kind of talks. Despite the ongoing violence even the American ambassador in Kabul had expressed that US supports talks with militants who lay down arms and recognize the Afghan constitution. However it needs to asserted that US does not supports any kind of dialogue with Al Qaeda. Across the border the Pakistani prime minister has also supported the process of negotiation with the local Taliban with the aim to end violence and bring the estranged tribesmen back into society. He specifically spelled out his government’s aim to marginalize terrorists in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North West Frontier region and vowed to restore order and give the people an option other than collaborating with murderers whose sole goal is chaos and anarchy.

Recently the Canadians have also come out rather openly to support talks. It is for first time that Canada is reaching out to the Taliban hoping to convince ordinary fighters to lay down their arms after having opposed talks with insurgents for a very long time. After having rejected any kind of contacts with the militants, the Canadian officials are now rethinking their policy pursuit.

According to Toronto base newspaper, the main of changed policy is to help peace efforts led by various quarters in Afghanistan. It was reported that the recently employed strategy is two pronged; tactical discussion at the local level in volatile areas in southern provinces and strategic talks through president Karazai’s government in Kabul. While there is no doubt that noise for peace overtures are continuously increasing and some efforts have also been made but the progress appears to be rather painfully slow. The visiting UN representative stated in Kabul that there was no formal reconciliation process underway but rather only community outreach. ‘If the Afghan government should decide to launch a wide reconciliation process and ask for our support, we will provide that support to the extent possible, he said.

It need to be mentioned here that the UN representative set three condition for talks; the Kabul leads the reconciliation process with support from international community, that it be politically driven; and respect Afghanistan’s new constitution. ‘We cannot compromise with regard to the constitution, nor with regard to the many important achievements that we have made over the last few years’, he said. Undoubtedly negotiation would ultimately be the only way to end Afghan conflict. Negotiations invariably enormously help in comprehending each other’ point of views and from then onward the compromises can be worked if the negotiation persists. When two parties have hardened their position and refuse to opt for talks, the result is invariably undesired increase in violence.

It appears that after years of violence the Afghans both the government side as well as the warring Taliban are thinking in terms of trying other approaches including negotiations. The negotiation process could be further facilitated if both sides do not stress too much on pre-conditions. However this does not mean that the main concerns should not be highlighted but it helps that grievances and concerns are put on table rather than aired before the negotiations starts.

—The writer works for Islamabad Policy Research Institute.