Iqbal Khan
ACCORDING to Chairman of the Afghan Government’s High Council for National Reconciliation Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the long-awaited intra-Afghan talks are about to begin. “People are hopeful for peace. People are ready for tough decisions for peace, but [they] also have concerns,” Abdullah Abdullah, said. This development came after Abdullah’s phone call with Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 26. In his conversation with PM Imran, Abdullah appreciated Pakistan’s support for the Afghan peace process and reiterated that all sides must grasp this unique opportunity to reduce violence, start intra-Afghan talks, and pursue a path to a dignified and durable peace. Taliban’s lead negotiator Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai announced that the group has finalised a 21-member team for the proposed talks in Qatar’s capital Doha.
On diplomatic front, a delegation of Taliban Political Commission (TPC) led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy political chief of Taliban, began his visit to Pakistan on August 24 aimed at discussing the way forward for the Afghan peace process. The delegation met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other officials on August 25.Some of the meetings were kept secret from the media glare. Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said, the delegation, talked with senior Pakistani officials about recent developments in the Afghanistan peace process, relaxation and facilitation of people’s movement and trade between the two neighbouring countries alongside issues related to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. After meeting, the Afghan Taliban said that they considered intra-Afghan negotiations and peace in Afghanistan “vital for both countries and the region”.
The visit of the Taliban delegation came against the backdrop of efforts for early commencement of intra-Afghan dialogue. According to a handout issued by the FO, views were exchanged on the current status of the Afghan peace process and the way forward during the meeting. This was the second visit of Mullah Baradar in 10 months. He visited Islamabad in October last year when President Donald Trump abruptly called off the peace talks with the Taliban, citing the group’s continued attacks against the US-led foreign forces. Pakistan at that time had arranged a meeting between a Taliban delegation led by Baradar and US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. The meeting helped the process to be back on track, which eventually culminated in the deal signed between the US and Taliban.The intra-Afghan talks have been delayed for months because of differences between the Afghan government and Taliban over the release of prisoners. Recently, the final hurdle was removed when the Loya Jirga or grand assembly endorsed President Ashraf Ghani’s move to free the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners. However, the issue is not yet over. Now Australia and France have objected to release of some of the prisoners involved in attacking and killing some of their nationals. Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the Afghan leaders to seize “this historic opportunity to achieve an inclusive political settlement contributing to durable peace, security and prosperity in Afghanistan”. He has invited Dr Abdullah Abdullah to visit Pakistan. This came as follow up to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s meeting with the TPC delegation at the Foreign Office.
Premier reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to further deepen these brotherly ties and enhance cooperation in all fields. Both sides agreed to enhance the bilateral relations besides taking forward the Afghanistan peace process. PM also underlined his long-standing belief that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a negotiated political settlement was the only way forward. “Pakistan looks forward to the commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations at the earliest,” PM added. Pakistan has cautioned against “spoilers”, who did not want to see peace in Afghanistan, as it urged all parties to seize this “historic opportunity” to put an end to the lingering conflict in the war-ravaged country.
Highlighting Pakistan’s positive contribution to the peace and reconciliation process, culminating in the US-Taliban peace agreement, the Foreign Minister urged the Afghan stakeholders to seize this historic opportunity to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive negotiated political solution. Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful, stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan. He emphasised the implementation of the US-Taliban agreement, in its entirety, paving the way for the earliest possible commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations. Qureshi stressed, “Pakistan will continue to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process for durable peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond.” The Foreign Minister also highlighted the importance of Pakistan-Afghanistan ties based on amity, shared history and geography and reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding solidarity with the brotherly people of Afghanistan. He urged the international community to enhance its engagement for reconstruction and economic development of Afghanistan. He also underscored the need for creating economic opportunities and an environment conducive for return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with dignity and honour.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has highlighted the presence of ISIL/Da’esh in India, saying the terrorist group is operating from Karnataka and Kerala and poses a threat to regional peace and security. Pakistan’s Mission at the UN has given a statement about India’s state terrorism and support to terror outfits during a Security Council debate on Secretary General’s report on “Threats to International Peace and Security posed by Terrorism Actions”. As usual India went into a denial mode. However, Pakistan’s Permanent Mission in the United Nations busted Indian claim and shared statement of Security Council Secretariat Branch. Head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov had presented biennial report on ISIL’s impact on international peace and security to the UN Security Council on 24 August.
The US is keen in seeing some sort of deal before Trump goes for re-election in November this year. Sceptics, however, are wary of any early breakthrough given the differences among major political players. Pakistan and other immediate neighbours of Afghanistan want an orderly withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan in order to avoid any civil war. Pakistan has played a central role in brokering the deal and is still involved with all stakeholders for the next phase of the peace process. The talks are intended to set a roadmap for post-war Afghanistan. They will include a permanent ceasefire, the rights of minorities and women, constitutional changes and the fate of tens of thousands of armed Taliban and militias loyal to Kabul-allied leaders, including some prominent warlords and drug barons. The best options for Pakistan is to remain cautiously optimistic about success of talks and remain vigilant about strategy and tactics of spoilers.
—The writer is a freelance columnist based in Islamabad.
