Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Thursday said that serious efforts were under way for direct talks between Kabul and Taliban. He hinted that the next meeting of the Quadrilateral Co-ordination Group (QCG) could take place during the current month. Speaking at Jinnah Institute's panel discussion titled "From Winter to Spring: Revisiting the Afghan Question," Aziz said that no one can dictate terms to either the Afghan government or the Afghan Taliban, nor can arbitrary timelines, deadlines or conditionalities be attached to the reconciliation process.
He said that the focus of regional stakeholders should be on facilitating an inclusive reconciliation process in Afghanistan, adding that the QCG would have to collectively decide how to deal with elements refusing to join the peace process.
"Let's hope that the direct talks kick off...we are not expecting a major breakthrough from the first meeting between Afghan government and the Taliban [if takes place], it would make the process start," he added. He emphasised that Pakistan continues to play a consultative role in Afghan reconciliation process under the principle of shared responsibility. He observed that in the past 15 years, an exclusive military approach has not worked in Afghanistan. It was important, therefore, to keep the process on track and prevent attempts by spoilers to derail the process, he said, adding the next QCG meeting has not been scheduled so far and it is expected to take place during the current month.
"Pakistan feels the pain of Afghans caused by continuing violence in their country. Pakistan itself has been a victim of brutal terrorism, with attacks in Charsadda and Lahore as recent examples," he said, adding Pakistan is, therefore, committed to the idea that one of the key goals of the Afghan reconciliation process be reduction, and ultimate cessation of violence.
Referring to the border management and the militants' recent incursions on Pak-Afghan border, he said that both the governments were working on SOPs [Standard Operating Procedures] for better border management to prevent movement of militants across both sides. About bilateral trade, Aziz said that trade between the two countries was continuing and the government had recently approved 40 to 45 steps to further facilitate the trade between the two countries as well the Afghan transit trade.
Speaking on the occasion, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal pointed out that it was important to build an environment of trust given that the main hurdle to peace in the region was the Afghan-Pakistan trust deficit. Referring to the nature of shared challenges facing both the countries, he agreed that it was important for both sides to talk to each other, and not at each other. He said his mission in Islamabad was to change mindsets and improving public perceptions. "Without peace in Afghanistan, there could be no peace in Pakistan," he said.
He acknowledged that Pakistan had paid a high price for regional conflict, adding Pakistan loses $70 to 80 billion annually due to instability in Afghanistan and the region. He added that Pakistan would always face roadblocks in its attempt to become a gateway to Central Asia, as would Afghanistan in its attempt to be a land-bridge to Central Asia, if peace continued to elude Afghanistan.
He cautioned that elements supporting violence in Afghanistan continued to use Pakistani territory. In his recommendations, the Afghan envoy said it was important to leverage the people-to-people relationship for greater peace and stability given our common ancestry, faith, language and geography. He felt that while there was a need for genuine, direct, frank and broad-based dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan, it was equally important to facilitate media and civil society interaction.
Responding to a question about the lack of discernible action against Pakistani militants based in Afghanistan, the Afghan envoy revealed that Afghan cooperation was essential in arresting the culprits behind the Army Public School (APS) attack. However, he stated that reach of the Afghan state was limited because the country was in a state of war.
Jinnah Institute President Senator Sherry Rehman appreciated President Ashraf Ghani's role as an advocate of regional stability and change. She stated that it was important to strive for an inclusive, Afghan-led peace process given recent Taliban battlefield successes.
A negotiated settlement, she noted, was in the best interest of Afghanistan as well as regional players. She cautioned that there were limits to Pakistani state power in leading this conversation. "Both Afghanistan and Pakistan needed each other for trade, transit and combating terrorism," she said, adding Pakistan has been put in a difficult position, it is fighting one of the largest inland war against terrorism and the situation is made all the more difficult by a long porous border.