ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has thrown its weight behind a proposal that seeks a “Taliban office” in a neutral country to facilitate peace efforts aimed at finding a political solution to the nine-year-old strife in Afghanistan.
The idea, first mooted by former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Zaeef in an article published in a British newspaper, appears to have gained supporters.
Zaeef said having the Taliban set up an office in a neutral country may help bring about peace in Afghanistan.
A senior government official told The Express Tribune that Pakistan has been urging the US to support President Hamid Karzai’s reconciliation plan and embrace the idea of seeking a political solution to Afghan impasse.
“If the Taliban are allowed to set up an office in a neutral country, this will be one step forward and Pakistan will welcome it,” said the official, who wished not to be named.
He said the proposal was discussed at a recently held trilateral meeting in Istanbul among the presidents of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey.
After the talks, President Hamid Karzai said his country would be pleased to see Turkey opening a Taliban office.
“If Turkey can be kind (enough) to provide such a venue we, the government of Afghanistan will be pleased and happy to see that facilitation (in) Turkey,” Karzai said when asked if he was open to having the Taliban open an office in Turkey or another impartial country.
His Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul said: “Separately and generally, I would like to say that we would do everything that would help stability, security and future of Afghanistan.”
Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said Pakistan would support the Afghan-led reconciliation process and is ready to help if asked.
It is widely believed that Pakistan’s top spy agency, the ISI, which had nurtured the Taliban with the money funnelled by the American CIA, still enjoys considerable influence over the insurgent group.
Officials say Pakistan has called for a different approach to deal with the crises than enunciated by the Obama administration in the Afghan review.
The review, they argue, unfortunately laid more emphasis on the use of force.
On the other hand, Islamabad is in favour of launching a political process without delay and talks with the ‘reconcilable’ Taliban.
The officials believe the idea of facilitating a Taliban office could pave the way for a much-needed political solution to the decade-old conflict.
The first phase, according to the officials who have seen the document, must be aimed at creating a space for peace talks by reducing or deescalating the violence.
The next objective would be to persuade the ‘reconcilable’ Taliban to renounce al Qaeda and to convince the insurgents to accept the Afghan Constitution can follow afterwards.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2010.
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