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Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday extended support to Kabul's proposed political process seeking to recognise the Taliban as a legitimate political group, and said Pakistan is ready for one-on-one talks with the Afghan Taliban.
Asif's statements come a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the second Kabul Process conference offered recognition of the Taliban as a political group and asked the group to take part in peace talks "to save the country".
The offer adds to a series of signals from both the Western-backed government and the Taliban suggesting a greater willingness to consider dialogue.
The Afghan president said the process would be accompanied by coordinated diplomatic support including a global effort to persuade Pakistan, which Kabul has regularly accused of aiding the Taliban, of the advantages of a stable Afghanistan. Ghani also renewed an offer of talks with Pakistan, which Islamabad welcomed.
"The talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are actually discussions between two political forces, and Pakistan will support it," Asif told a group of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor investors today.
"Pakistan is also ready for one-on-one mediation with the Afghan Taliban," he added.
The foreign minister observed that "some institutions" portray their own interests as being in the greater national interest, and that "this habit will also be changed soon".
"The effects of the 80s and the Musharraf era still exist, Pakistan will not make the same mistakes now and keep American interests above its own," Asif asserted.
The foreign minister said that Pakistan is currently going through an period of uncertainty but he is "completely certain that we will come out of it."
Commenting on the US' recent interest in Pak-India dialogue, Asif said, "The US can have an interest in Pak-India discussions, but before that it should create some balance in its South Asia policy."
Ghani's framework
President Ashraf Ghani has proposed a ceasefire and release of prisoners as part of a range of options including new elections, involving the militants, and a constitutional review as part of a pact with the Taliban to end a conflict that last year alone killed or wounded more than 10,000 Afghan civilians.
“We are making this offer without preconditions in order to lead to a peace agreement,” the president had said at the 'Kabul Process'.
“The Taliban are expected to give input to the peace-making process, the goal of which is to draw the Taliban, as an organisation, to peace talks,” he said, adding that he would not “pre-judge” any group seeking peace.
He said the Afghan government would provide passports and issue visas to Taliban members and their families and open an office for them in Kabul. Ghani said his government would also work to remove sanctions against Taliban leaders.
In addition, Taliban prisoners could be released and their names removed from international blacklists, while security arrangements could be made for Taliban agreeing to join a process of reconciliation. Former fighters and refugees could be reintegrated and provided with jobs.
In return for Ghani’s offer, the Taliban would have to recognise the Afghan government and respect the rule of law, including the rights of women, one of the priorities for Afghanistan’s international partners.
Taliban officials have acknowledged that they have faced pressure from friendly countries to accept talks and said their recent offers to talk to the United States reflected concern that they could be seen to be standing in the way of peace.
Explore: What is Ashraf Ghani's plan to end Afghanistan's 40-year conflict?
Comments (26) Closed
Well done please do
Well done
Divide politics is not in countries interest and neither is parroting our non well wisher countries point of view. The ‘ institutions’ have kept the country safe from the enemy, while the politicians have kept the heir leader safe from the opposition. One works for the nation, the other for its own self party interest. Not a good foreign minister.
Please tweet..
Of course of are friends. No doubt.
Of course you are ready !!
Good initiative, but I don't see this happening anytime sooner. Lets hope for the best
@Khalid Well done
If Pakistan keeps its own interests above America's ...let's a see.
Make sense
The discussions are an internal issue of Afghanistan and Pakistsn should keep of it
@Zak yes,agreed.thanks to the "institutions"only 50%of land is lost.
Pre requisite for any peace in Afghanistan is complete withdrawal of US occupation force.
@Haider do you have capacity to do that..
Who asked ? Why do need?
You should control the insititutions and you should have done it much earlier but is it necessary to challenge it publicaly. Those who have weaknesses cannot assert the authority.
"Taliban" may have history that cannot be ignored, forgotten or overcome in the short time span since its formation.
The term "Good Taliban" is an oxymoron to most Afghans and Pakistanis (and many others.)
That being said, it is very important that relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan be fully normalized. So keep up efforts to accomplish this, recognizing that terminology may need to be modified in order to truly move forward.
Taliban cannot be trusted.
Pakistan is at the forefront of any peace process but seeking the recognition of Taliban. Should also work for recognition of LeT and other peace loving groups.
Do you have anything to do for Pakistan?
Pray, what is Pakistan offering to do, when others are having a one:on:one meeting?
So far their precondition for the talk was the removal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan. First we have to see if the offer of the Afghan president has the endorsement of the Northern alliance. Wait for their reaction.
Khwaja Asif should realize that there is no comparison between India and Pakistan, in terms of size, economy, gdp, trade, international clout to name a few. So to expect US to have a balancing policy is something that this Pakistani FM can't really expect. India is essential in the bigger scheme of things in which Pakistan simply does not exist.
Ashraf Ghani has made a fine offer to end the destruction of Afghan Society and its impact on Pakistan and to one extent on Iran and Uzbekistan. There are blood ties between sizable Pakistani and Afghan people. Although I came from India, but number of my ancestors came from Afghanistan and lots of them live in Pakistan as well. Take this offer and remove the wall that has separated them.
No one should miss but must kiss this peace related effort by Pakistan. Pakistan seems to have all humanity love related moto as such:
"Peace and love is all we need for all humanity".
Could not understand the meaning or sense of "One- on- one mediation " . Khawaja Asif is inventing something new. Otherwise, he should be commended for trying to convince the boots that Foreign Policy & National Security Policy are too serious matters to be left to anybody but the national parliament and the elected government.