Pakistan press the Taliban to enter into peace talks with NATO and U.S

Pakistan called for the first time on the Afghan Taliban to start talks with the Kabul government on Friday, lending diplomatic momentum to an American-sponsored peace process that is anchored in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar,
but which experts say is still advancing at a perilously slow pace.

After a phone discussion with the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, on Tuesday, the Pakistani prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, issued a statement calling on the Taliban and “all other Afghan groups, including Hizb-e-Islami,” a
pro-Taliban militant group with historical ties to Pakistan, to participate in what is referred to as a reconciliation process.

The statement, which came less than 24 hours after the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with Pakistan’s foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, in London, is potentially significant because the Taliban leadership — and
many of its fighters — are believed to be sheltering on Pakistani soil.

In January, Pakistan facilitated the fledgling process in Qatar, where the United States wants the Taliban to set up a liaison office for the purpose of conducting negotiations, by allowing Taliban representatives to travel to
the Persian Gulf state.

Mr. Gilani’s diplomatic overture appeared to be a further admission of his country’s influence over the insurgents — although the nature of that influence is hotly debated.

While Afghan officials assert that Pakistan can deliver the militant leadership to the negotiating table, Pakistanis say otherwise.

“The Taliban are not going to wait for a statement from the Pakistani leadership to begin talks,” said Rustam Shah Mohmand, a retired Pakistani diplomat.

Less clear, still, is the Taliban stance. Mr. Mohmand, a former ambassador to Kabul, said that a “sizable segment” of the Taliban viewed the talks as “an American gimmick intended to cause a split in their ranks.”

Pakistan’s stance on the Taliban is also a function of its volatile relationship with Washington, which has been effectively on hold since November, when American warplanes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in a confused cross-border
strike.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=14010

Posted by Hamza Jahangir on Feb 28 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry