Afghan President Hamid Karzai. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Pakistan is ready to facilitate peace in Afghanistan, foreign ministry spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said on Monday amid reports that Islamabad is finding it difficult to work with Afghan President Hamid Karzai due to mistrust and is reaching out to others to advance the peace process.
“Right now, Karzai is the biggest impediment to the peace process,” a top foreign ministry official requesting anonymity told Reuters. “In trying to look like a saviour, he is taking Afghanistan straight to hell.”
However, the foreign ministry refuted the remarks attributed to Pakistani officials, saying it did not reflect Pakistan’s approach in the reconciliation process.
“We believe in positive engagement with the Afghan government. The president of Pakistan recently met Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Turkmenistan,” Chuadhry told The Express Tribune, adding that Pakistan maintains close contacts with the Karzai government at all levels.
The foreign ministry spokesman said Pakistan has a positive view of relations with Afghanistan.
“We wish to facilitate peace in Afghanistan and our region,” Chaudhry added.
In the Reuters exclusive, senior Pakistani officials were quoted saying they are discouraged by what they call Karzai’s erratic statements and provocations, apparently designed to make him appear more decisive at home in dealing with the unpopular war, now in its 12th year.
“I have absolutely no doubt that there will be complete chaos in Afghanistan if a settlement is not reached by 2014,” said the foreign ministry official to Reuters. “Afghanistan will erupt. And when that happens, Pakistan will have to pay.”
Another Pakistani foreign ministry official cited several examples of how Karzai has blocked peace efforts. At a conference in January, for example, Karzai insisted there would be no more “back door” peace contacts. The official also accused Karzai of delaying the opening of a Taliban office in Qatar that could be used in the reconciliation efforts – a move agreed upon by President Asif Zardari and President Karzai at the Chequers summit hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron.
On the other hand, Afghan officials say Karzai is fully committed to the peace process, but wants to ensure it is Afghan-driven.
Responding to the accusation that Karzai is an obstacle to peace, an Afghan government official said: “We totally reject this. It is a baseless allegation.”
Karzai, who will travel to Qatar in search of an elusive peace process in his war-torn country with Qatari leaders, has also recently been critical of Islamabad after Pakistani religious scholars boycotted a conference of clerics from both countries. The Afghan president’s remarks during interviews and in meetings with Pakistani officials have also led Islamabad to conclude he has become too inflexible, citing Karzai’s recent accusation that the United States was colluding with the Taliban.
“What does Karzai have to show for his effort to bring insurgents to the table? We’ve released prisoners. We’ve facilitated talks,” said another senior foreign ministry official, according to Reuters.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2013.
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