Shaukat Hayat Buneri
PEACE talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have begun in Doha, the capital of Qatar, to end the last 40 years of war in Afghanistan, especially the recent 20-year war. Undoubtedly, this is an important development that could lead to lasting peace in Afghanistan, provided that the key players in the Afghan issue, the Kabul administration and the Afghan Taliban, as well as all other stakeholders, work together sincerely for this purpose.
Work and struggle according to international media reports, addressing the inaugural session of the talks at a local hotel in Doha, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Afghans must decide on the political system to be implemented in Afghanistan. He also hoped that the parties would not miss this historic opportunity. Addressing the participants, Abdullah Abdullah, head of the Afghanistan Peace Council and the Afghan government’s negotiating team, said Afghanistan’s problems could be resolved if the two sides work together in good faith and for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.
Similarly, Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said that he did not want Islam to be sacrificed for personal interests in negotiations and agreements, adding that the Islamic system should be implemented in Afghanistan. Hosting the talks, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that given the current challenges, there is a need for fruitful negotiations beyond any divisions, based on a win-win agreement..
On the other hand, Pakistan has also stressed on being wary of the forces that are thwarting the peace process. At the special invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi attended the opening ceremony of the intra-Afghan talks via video link and said in his address that it was a rare opportunity for the Afghan leadership to pave the way for lasting peace in Afghanistan. He further said that Pakistan’s position has always been that the solution to the Afghan problem is not power, the good news is that today the world is recognizing Pakistan’s position. “We also have to keep an eye on the evil elements who are trying to thwart the Afghan peace process,” he warned participants. Negotiators, especially the Kabul administration and the Afghan Taliban, should consider Pakistan’s opinion, proposal or position. Similarly, whether it is Abdullah Abdullah or the Taliban or the US Secretary of State, it is not possible to disagree with all of them, but the sad fact is that the government of Abdullah Abdullah, who proposed a humanitarian ceasefire, was against the militants on the same day. An action has been taken.
As for the Taliban’s position that the Islamic system should be implemented in Afghanistan, the US Secretary of State’s position that whatever political system is implemented in Afghanistan should be decided by the Afghan people. But before that, there must be an end to the decades-long war in Afghanistan, or at least a temporary ceasefire by the end of the talks, to strengthen mutual trust between the parties and the Afghan people without fear and with an open mind.
Think about it. One thing is for sure, if any decision is made by force in Afghanistan according to the wishes and intentions of any party, then the Afghan people will oppose it as before. Therefore, it is up to the Afghan people to make this decision, which must be respected by the Kabul administration, the Afghan Taliban and both parties, as well as all stakeholders.
—The writer is freelancer, based in Buner, KP
