Iqbal Khan
The announcement regarding wrapping up of sixth round of US-Taliban negotiations in Doha (April 30-May 09) came at a significant time, because only a day earlier, the Taliban had attacked the Kabul office of American nonprofit Counterpart International, killing multiple employees of an adjacent American charity. American Ambassador to Afghanistan John R. Bass condemned the attack, while Afghan analysts said the incident showed that the Taliban don’t actually believe in peace. In previous negotiations both sides broadly agreed that a final peace agreement would result in a withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan under condition that the country will not be used by militant groups to launch attacks against the US and allied countries. According to a Taliban statesman, the talks were “positive and constructive,” with both sides making “some progress […] on the draft agreement prepared in the last round of talks.”
The US special envoy Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad has said that America stands ready for “all sides” to lay down arms. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that America should “forget about the idea of us putting down our arms” and “stop repeating failed strategies & expecting different outcomes.”
On the outset of the concluded round, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar met with US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad; both discussed “key aspects for a peaceful resolution of the Afghan issue”. Khalilzad, who has stressed “there is no final agreement until everything is agreed”, has previously confirmed evolution of an outline for the basic framework of a deal. Envisaged pact would see the US agree to pull its forces from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban vowing to stop groups using the country as a safe haven.
According to the Taliban, Baradar told Khalilzad it was vital those two key points “be finalized”. Washington is “a bit impatient” to end the war, given its $45 billion annual cost to the US taxpayer and the continued toll on US forces.
Prior to starting the round in Doha, Khalilzad visited Islamabad. He requested and received support for the need to accelerate intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations as well as a reduction in violence, alongside formulation of concrete steps necessary for a comprehensive settlement, said a statement issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad. Khalilzad reiterated that an end to the war for Afghans will bring long overdue peace and stability that precludes it from being used by terrorists to attack the United States or any other country.
Earlier Khalilzad also went to Moscow, where Russia and China voiced support for the US plan for a peace deal and stressed the need for intra-Afghan dialogue that would see all sides in Afghanistan at a negotiating table.
Earlier the U.S found backing from rivals Russia and China on the key formula of a peace deal it is negotiating in Afghanistan – withdrawing troops in return for Taliban pledges not to welcome foreign extremists. Khalilzad called the consensus a “milestone” in efforts to end the war after he met Russian and Chinese representatives in Moscow.
A joint statement by the three countries called for an “inclusive Afghan-led” peace process and outlined points expected to feature in an eventual agreement. “The three sides call for an orderly and responsible withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan as part of the overall peace process,” said the statement issued by the U.S State Department. Khalilzad said that the statement, along with his earlier talks in London with European envoys, “means we have an emerging international consensus on U.S approach to end the war.”
Despite several rounds of negotiations between the U.S and the Taliban, none of the talks thus far have included the Afghan government, which the Taliban views as a puppet regime. Iran has criticized the U.S approach, whose foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, recently said that the United States had alienated Afghans by turning the Taliban into king-makers. Pakistan’s valuation about the future of Afghanistan sees the neighbouring country engulfed in a ‘civil war’ again with the US and the Taliban failing to reach a peace deal. Afghan Grand Council, commonly known as Loya Jirga, was convened by President Ashraf Ghani ended on May 03, Council made a unanimous call for peace with the Taliban.
The key factor includes the deepening divide within the Afghan society on the future of their country. Even at the recently held Loya Jirga, several prominent Afghan politicians, Dr Abdullah Abdullah boycotted the gathering. Taliban who were also invited by the government to the jirga, refused participation, calling it a government conspiracy. “This speaks volume of the challenge Afghans have to deal with,” the official added. The flip-flop approach by the US is also adding to the complexity of the Afghan problem. “People, who were all those years kept in Guantamo Bay, today are sitting across the table with Americans to discuss the peace deal.” In the present situation, according to Pakistan’s assessment, there are more chances of Afghanistan slipping into the ‘civil war’ than reaching a peace deal.
In the event of further instability, there is fear of new influx of refugees. Pakistan is working out ‘contingency plans’ to cope up with such eventuality. One area that Pakistan has been working on for a couple of years is to fence the long and porous border with Afghanistan. The fencing is primarily meant to ensure better border security and control the irregular movement of people, something that militants always take advantage of.
Afghanistan Times has reported that the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, met with Mullah Baradar in late April. The meeting focused on human rights, humanitarian assistance, and the peace process.
Taliban said in a statement that the meeting focused on the peace efforts, civilian casualties’ prevention and humanitarian assistance to needy people in Taliban-controlled areas. The statement added that the two sides agreed to cooperate in the prevention of civilian casualties. A bloody war rages on in Afghanistan, with thousands of civilians and fighters being killed each year. Taliban have announced the start of their annual spring offensive. The U.S has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led mission, known as Resolute Support that is for training and assisting the Afghan government’s security forces in their battle against Taliban fighters. Actually these foreign troops are doing the hard combat in Afghanistan and most of the civilian casualties are attributed to their brutal aerial bombing.
Earlier welcoming an Afghan Track-II delegation, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi conveyed Pakistan’s strong desire for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. He stated that renewed push for political settlement of the conflict has created new hopes and opportunities for peace in Afghanistan and the region, which no one could afford to miss.
Pakistan now has very limited influence over the Taliban. It is believed that in view of the grim perspective of any political solution, Pakistan is now trying to maintain a low profile in those talks. Unlike, the earlier talks held in the UAE, Pakistan is not directly taking part in the ongoing Doha parleys, although it has facilitated the process.
Writer is a freelance columnist;
e-mail: Iqbal.khan9999@yahoo.com
