K.
Iqbal
Afghan
government and the Taliban are poised to hold face-to-face talks following the
behind the scenes encouragement by Pakistan, America and other stakeholders.
The two sides—Taliban and Afghan government have been in informal contact with
each other for some time. However, this is the first time that they plan to
publicly share a table to converse about the future political landscape of Afghanistan.
Committees for proposed talks on both the sides are engaged in affairs like
discussing agendas for talks and other issues. However, as of now, no direct
meeting has taken place.
America
is encouraging Pakistan and China to support President Ghani’s reconciliation
efforts. President Obama’s special envoy, Daniel F Feldman, has visited
Islamabad and held important talks. He met Army Chief General Raheel Sharif as
well. The regional situation was discussed during these meetings. Feldman
appreciated Pakistan’s positive role for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Feldman’s visit was aimed at discussing the prospects of a peace deal in the
backdrop of the latest initiatives. Afghan Taliban talks with the government in
Kabul are likely to take place soon, though certain sticky issues are yet to be
finalized; for example, Islamabad, Beijing, Kabul and Dubai have been short
listed as possible venues; however, efforts are being made to arrange the talks
in Kabul in an effort to show that the process is Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.
President
Obama held a video conference with President Ashraf Ghani, on March 13, and
discussed the peace process and commended the regime’s efforts to improve
relationship with Pakistan. Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdullah
Abdullah also participated in the conference call.
Debate
is ongoing on the issue of the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan;
spokesman for Afghan Taliban Zabihullah Mujahid has commented in a message that
no doubt that Afghans want peace, but this is possible after the foreign forces
stop aggression and allow sovereignty to Afghans. The Taliban leadership is not
out-rightly rejecting the prospect of talks with the Afghan government. China’s
foreign minister last month said during a visit to Islamabad that Beijing was
willing to help mediate talks to end the Afghan war.
Reportedly,
China has held rounds of talks with the Taliban and asked them to hold direct
talks with the Afghan government.
The Chinese have held “one, two or three”
rounds of talks with the Taliban in the past few months, Dr Abdullah Abdullah
said at a conference organized by an Indian media group. Abdullah, speaking at
the India Today Conclave 2015 in New Delhi, did not say where the meetings took
place. Abdullah’s backing of the nascent process is crucial because many of his
supporters represent the anti-Taliban sentiment.
The
Taliban side is silent over the Afghan government’s willingness to give share
to them in power and also accept their demands within the constitutional framework.
Taliban are accepting that their members visit certain countries for various
issues and have traditional links with several countries. An Afghan government
official has said that the issues about which Taliban have concerns could be
discussed and sorted out once the talk process starts.
The next few days are very crucial. It is a
make-or-break situation. All sides are very much aware of the fact that the
breakthrough has to be achieved before the Taliban’s spring offensive. All
stakeholders are pushing for a formal ceasefire in order to pave the way for
meaningful talks before the Afghan Taliban begin their spring offensive in May.
The first round of talks will focus on striking a deal on a ceasefire. China is
to act as a ‘guarantor’ for any peace deal between the insurgents and the
Afghan government. Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to set up a joint
committee to work out a mechanism for documentation of unregistered Afghan
nationals in Pakistan.
While
talking to Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, Sayed Balkhi, Prime
Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that building stable and cooperative
relations with all countries of the region including Afghanistan is part of his
vision for a peaceful neighborhood, adding that Pakistan is fully committed to
the internationally endorsed Solution Strategy for Afghan Refugees. During the
London Conference on Afghanistan, in December 2014, Prime Minister Nawaz called
upon the international community to support Afghanistan to bring back Afghan
refugees living abroad, by helping to create conducive conditions for
sustainable reintegration into their homeland.
Pakistan respects the principle of voluntary
return and feels encouraged that the Afghan government is creating pull factors
to incentives the return of refugees. Balkhi said an inter-ministerial Board
has been formed in Afghanistan for overseeing the return of Afghan refugees
which is being chaired by President Ashraf Ghani.
Balkhi said it is the desire of the Afghan
people to focus on economic development and not to hear the sound of gunshots
again.
With
the change of leadership in Afghanistan, the two countries have commenced a
historic new phase in bilateral relations. Now, focus is on enhanced political
engagement, security and counter-terrorism cooperation, trade and economic
partnership, and regional cooperation. Terrorism is a common enemy of the two
countries and it requires common endeavors to defeat it. Both the countries
have paid a very heavy price at the hands of terrorism and now Pakistan has
launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb which has broken the backbone of the terrorist
network in the country. Pakistan has a commitment not to allow its territories
to be used against other countries. Pakistan is in favor of an Afghan-owned and
Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process.
Both
sides—Taliban and the Afghan government—are deeply suspicious of each other.
Taliban representatives have indicated that should talks begin, they would make
demands including the immediate departure of all foreign troops. A senior aide
to Ghani said anticipated Taliban demands, which may also include re-imposing
the harsh interpretation of Islamic law would be unacceptable. The aide said
Pakistani intermediaries were “working to find middle ground”, but so far
reported no change in the Taliban stance. “If these demands are not softened,”
the aide said, “the first day of talks could become the last day of talks.”
Prime
Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has
also confirmed that the Afghan government and the Taliban were preparing to
hold negotiations. Pakistan has always supported such a process, and
re-emphasized it to be transparent, Afghan-owned and Afghan-led.
The
process of intra-Afghan negotiations is likely to be painstakingly slow, and
progress could be akin to one step forward and two backwards. At this critical
time, caution is due for Pakistan that it should not get involved in the
internal affairs of Afghanistan. Even if officially invited by the Afghan
government, it should only facilitate the process to the extent requested by
the Afghan government and Taliban.
The
interlocutors of the Afghan peace and reconciliation process should look for
strong guarantors to the anticipated agreement. No single country could bear
such a burden; however it would be appropriate if all permanent members of UNSC
and all six immediate neighbors of Afghanistan jointly underwrite the
forthcoming political arrangement in Afghanistan. Above all, America, the real
power yielder in Afghanistan owes it to the Afghan people and the international
community to make the process of intra-Afghan negotiations a success.
