Following its fourth meeting in Kabul, the QCG, which is made up of officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China, “expressed strong support for the upcoming direct talks between the government of Afghanistan and authorised representatives of the Taliban and other groups”.
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Atmar went on to assert that in Tuesday’s four-way talks in Kabul, participating nations vowed to take joint steps, including military means against insurgent groups who refuse to join the Afghan peace process and continue with their violent acts against the people of Afghanistan.
More recently, two top Taliban representatives including Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai and Qari Deen Mohammad reportedly travelled to Islamabad on February 6, 2016 when the top diplomats from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Untied States and China met for the third QCG meeting in which they were able to adopt a roadmap for peace process. “Pakistan has graciously offered to host this round of talks in Islamabad”, the statement added.
According to military spokesperson General Asim Bajwa, regional security, defence cooperation, facilitation of Afghan reconciliation process through Taliban’s Qatar office came under discussion during the meetings.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said that Pakistan and Afghanistan should work together to get rid of terrorism, underlining that the talks between Afghan government and Taliban is a positive signal for the peace process.
The Afghan Taliban said Wednesday they had not been officially contacted by Kabul about the resumption of direct talks aimed at ending the conflict, AFP reported. However the optimism was short lived as the second round of talks – scheduled for July 31- was suspended when the news of Taliban Commander Mullah Umar’s death surfaced on the media.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the delegations were led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing and the US Charge d’Affaires, David Lindwall.
The group also reviewed progress in the implementation of the roadmap for the Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process.
But the statement also suggested that the Taliban, or at least its Doha-based political leadership, may be prepared to soften its views on some issues.
The Quadrilateral Group comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States was constituted in December a year ago to help resume stalled peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
New leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour has laid down preconditions for taking part in any talks, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces, while a breakaway faction that opposes him has rejected any negotiations. The insurgents are waging an unprecedented winter campaign of violence across Afghanistan, underscoring a worsening security situation more than 14 years after their government in Kabul was toppled by a US-led invasion.
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Though Taliban fighters vacated the Kunduz province, yet they kept on targeting the government functionaries and installations in various parts of the country.
