In this photo released by Associated Press of Pakistan, delegates from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and United States attend a meeting at the foreign ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, May 18, 2016.
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“Taliban have not yet responded positively to these efforts but we believe that QCG countries in line with their shared responsibility should continue efforts for peace talks”.
QCG’s efforts received a serious blow after the insurgent group refused to engage in “direct talks” with Afghan government officials and instead announced its annual spring offensive.
“However, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has denounced further talks with the Taliban after a deadly Kabul explosion last month”, it adds.
He expressed these views at the closing ceremony of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) and German organisation Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF’s) joint two-day global conference on ‘Evolving Situation in Afghanistan: Role of Major powers and Regional Countries.
Last month, more than 64 people were killed in a awful Kabul bombing. “We have strongly condemned recent terrorist incidents in Afghanistan, particularly the April 19 terrorist attack in Kabul”, he said. After years of denial, the Pakistani government recently admitted that the Taliban leadership enjoys safe haven inside the country.
The statement comes just a day after a meeting of Quadrilateral Coordination Group on Afghanistan, which concluded that opportunities must be explored for direct talks with Taliban fighters.
Pakistan Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz said last week that Islamabad has been impressing upon Washington and Kabul that the reconciliation process needs to be given a fair chance and more time.
“The group would discuss how to make more concerted efforts for peace talks to start”, said the sources. Such an impression breeds unrealistic expectations from Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan has suffered tremendously due to the spillover of the four decade old war in Afghanistan. The Taliban remain split on whether to participate in the talks.
Minister of Defence Khawaja Asif yesterday said that India was “supporting terrorists and separatist groups in Pakistan especially in Balochistan and the issue of Indian terrorism had been raised internationally by Pakistan”. It is, however, discouraging that both the United States and the Afghan Government are again giving preference to the use of force, which has not produced any positive outcome for the last over one decade.
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“Pakistan’s embassy in Afghanistan is not active”.
