Pakistan is genuine about backing the nascent Afghan peace process and shares the Kabul government’s goal of transforming the Taliban insurgency into a political movement, a senior Afghan government official told Reuters.
“This is the vision that they share,” said the official, who is closely involved in reconciliation efforts with the insurgent group. He also said recent face-to-face talks between the Taliban and Afghan officials in Paris were “enormously helpful” for peace efforts.
The remarks signalled unprecedented optimism from Afghanistan that Pakistan – long accused of backing Afghan insurgent groups – was now willing to put its weight behind reconciliation efforts, which are still in early stages and are vulnerable to factionalism. The senior official cautioned that in order to sustain that optimism, Pakistan would need to take further concrete steps after releasing some mid-level Afghan Taliban members from detention, who may be useful in promoting peace.
Pakistan is seen as critical to U.S. and Afghan efforts to stabilise the country before most NATO combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014.
The Haqqani network — which has far more experience in guerrilla warfare than the Afghan Taliban – would be welcomed to the peace process as long as it met certain conditions, said the official. Pakistan is genuine about backing the nascent Afghan peace process and shares the Kabul government’s goal of transforming the Taliban insurgency into a political movement, a senior Afghan government official told Reuters.
“They have told us that they share the vision contained in our roadmap which is basically to transform the Taliban from a military entity into a political entity to enable them to take part in the Afghan political process and peacefully seek power like any other political entity in Afghanistan, he said.
“This is the vision that they share.”
The official, who is closely involved in reconciliation efforts, said recent face-to-face talks between senior Taliban members and Afghan officials in France were an “enormously helpful” step in building a wider environment for peace.
Until now, the Taliban and Afghan officials only made indirect contacts.
The official’s remarks signaled unprecedented optimism from Afghanistan that Pakistan – long accused of backing Afghan insurgent groups – was now willing to put its weight behind reconciliation efforts, which are still in early stages and are vulnerable to factionalism.
“We are very optimistic. We believe that they are genuine in this discussion with us,” said the senior government official.
The senior official cautioned, however, that in order to sustain that optimism, Pakistan would need to take further concrete steps after releasing some mid-level Afghan Taliban members from detention, who may be useful in promoting peace.
The nuclear-armed South Asian nation, a strategic U.S. ally, is seen as critical to U.S. and Afghan efforts to stabilise the country before most NATO combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014.
(Reporting by Michael Georgy; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
