Post-Mansoor scenario: Islamabad, Kabul discuss Afghan peace prospects

Aziz offers to encourage dialogue only if other stakeholders guarantee not to take unilateral action

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan discussed on Monday the fate of a fledging reconciliation process in the aftermath of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor’s death in the May 21 US drone strike in the Naushki district of Balochistan.

The subject was taken up in a meeting between Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad Dr Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

This was the first contact between the two neighbours since the death of Mansoor, which the United States described as a 'milestone' in efforts to bring peace in Afghanistan, but Pakistan slammed it as a serious setback to regional stability.

Although the Foreign Office would not give details, sources familiar with the meeting told The Express Tribune that Aziz and Zakhilwal discussed the situation arising out of Mansoor’s death.

Pakistan reacted angrily to the Naushki strike and accused Washington of sabotaging the Afghan reconciliation process. Contrary to the American claims, Islamabad insisted Mansoor was not opposed to peace talks.

US President Barack Obama himself conceded there were no hopes for revival of peace talks in the near future, although Washington invited the new Taliban leader, Maulvi Haibatullah Akhunzada, to join the peace process.

Sources said Aziz told the Afghan envoy that Pakistan still believed negotiations was the only viable option to bring lasting peace in the war-torn country.

Source said Aziz informed Zakhilwal that Pakistan was ready to facilitate talks but for that both Kabul and other stakeholders, including the United States, had to give firm assurances that they would not take any unilateral action against the Taliban leadership.

Despite Pakistan’s insistence on pursuing peace talks, independent observers believe chances of the Taliban returning to the negotiating table are slim, at least in the near future.

Aziz also believed to have conveyed serious concerns to Zakhilwal about the involvement of the Afghan intelligence agency in subversive activities inside Pakistan.

Security forces recently arrested at least six suspected agents of the top Afghan spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), from Balochistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2016.