Top Pakistan, US commanders discuss Afghan peace process

Gen Raheel, Gen Campbell also deliberated on matters of mutual interest

ISLAMABAD:

As expectations mount for the resumption of the stalled Afghan peace talks, the top military commanders from Pakistan and the United States discussed the peace process on Monday.

The Commander of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission and US troops in Afghanistan General John Campbell called on Army Chief General Raheel Sharif at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi with the reconciliation process one of the key talking points during their meeting.

“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest and regional security situation with particular reference to the reconciliation process in Afghanistan came under discussion,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.

The meeting came as the Taliban claimed a bomb attack on a joint patrol of NATO and Afghan forces near the Bagram base. The attack left at least six American soldiers dead and two others injured. The attacks are part of a fresh wave of Taliban attacks in Afghanistan who have targeted high-profile targets in and around Kabul in addition to launching offensives in different provinces like Helmand.

In recent weeks, there have been renewed efforts seeking the resumption of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Pakistan had brokered the first talks between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban in July, but a second round was indefinitely suspended after it emerged that the Taliban supremo Mullah Muhammad Omar had died two years ago.

In subsequent months, relations between the two neighbours, and stability within the Taliban deteriorated to such an extent that peace talks were pushed on to the back burner.

However, the Heart of Asia-Istanbul ministerial meeting in Islamabad in early December helped break the deadlock in ties between Islamabad and Kabul.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who were joined by the Chinese Foreign Minister and US Deputy Secretary of State, held multilateral talks on the side lines of the conference to discuss the prospects of reviving the peace process.

They all agreed that talks were the only viable option to end over decades old conflict in Afghanistan.

Gen Campbell’s visit follows a visit of US Secretary of Defence Dr Ashton Carter who raised concerns over the growing footprint of the Middle Eastern militant group Da’ish (Islamic State) in the war-torn country.

In this regard, Gen Raheel is due to travel to Kabul later this month in order to expedite efforts for the resumption of Afghan reconciliation process.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2015.