ISLAMABAD: The army top brass on Thursday hoped for “success” of US efforts for Afghan reconciliation process and called for dealing with terrorism through a regional approach.

“Forum highlighted importance of regional approach to eliminate roots of terrorism and attached hopes for success of ongoing Afghan reconciliation process while supporting all stakeholders to bring Afghan war to a peaceful logical conclusion,” an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement on the 216th corps commanders’ conference said.

The corps commanders’ conference, which is a monthly feature at the GHQ, this time specially focused on regional security and the situation on the eastern and western borders, including the Line of Control, while reviewing the geo-strategic environment. Additionally, the meeting took stock of the internal security situation and the ongoing security operations.

Voices hope for success of American efforts for Afghan reconciliation process

Pakistan renewed its commitment to facilitate the reconciliation process after US President Donald Trump last week wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking his government’s help for Afghan peace. Backing reconciliation in Afghanistan has been Islamabad’s longstanding position.

When the Trump administration intensified the efforts for seeking a negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict and appointed Ambassa­dor Zalmay Khalilzad as the point-man for the initiative in September, Pakistani authorities, in a major gesture, released senior Taliban figure Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on US request to help the process.

Speaking at a press conference at the ISPR office, military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had said last Thursday: “This political reconciliation must succeed. ... We wish that US leaves Afghanistan as friend of the region, not as a failure”. He had further said that Pakistan was taking “every step” needed to make the US succeed in its efforts for reconciliation. “We will facilitate it as much as we can,” he added.

While Taliban have held several meetings with US officials over the past few months, they have been categorically refusing to join talks with Kabul or become part of an intra-Afghan dialogue until there is a clear time frame for withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Afghanistan. The militants have, moreover, been continuing with attacks.

Terrorism has been a major concern for the US as it seeks Pakistan’s help in reconciliation. The message from the corps commanders’ meeting is that instead of pushing Pakistan hard on this count, the US should try to take a holistic view of the situation by adopting a “regional approach to eliminate roots of terrorism”. This assertion implies that the military leadership is asking the US to press Kabul and New Delhi to stop their activities targeting Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmmod Qureshi, speaking in the National Assembly earlier this week, had made a rare call for India’s cooperation on Afghanistan. “Since India is present in Afghanistan, its cooperation in this regard will also be required,” he had said.

The military, the corps commanders resolved, would continue with its actions for “consolidating gains of counterterrorism military operations”. They noted that improvements in security situation of the country had paved the way for socio-economic progress and development.

“We shall continue to support all state institutions for peace, stability and progress of the country in best interest of the people of Pakistan,” Army Chief Gen Qamar Jawed Bajwa, who chaired the meeting, said.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2018