Pakistan-brokered US-Taliban talks lay a firm ground for a sustainable peace deal with no military resolution
ISLAMABAD: After nine rounds of talks between the US and the Taliban, it seemed that the region would enjoy peace very soon. As the negotiations were nearing the climax, President Trump called off the talks, slamming the Taliban for renewed violence. This decision created anger in Pakistan. A peaceful Afghanistan is beneficial for a peaceful Pakistan. Pakistan has been the most affected by the bad situation in Afghanistan. PM Imran Khan requested Trump to resume talks. A high-level Afghan Taliban delegation met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad with the two sides reaffirming their resolve to resume stalled peace talks at the earliest. Reiterating Islamabad’s support to achieve ‘permanent’ peace, Qureshi emphasised that stability in Afghanistan was essential for Pakistan’s socio-economic development and progress. He said that Islamabad had been urging the world to overlook the hardcore political, economic, socio-cultural and ethnic ground realities in Afghanistan and its immediate neighbourhood. There was no military solution to the Afghan conflict. The foreign minister also said that the Pakistan-brokered US-Taliban talks laid a firm ground for a sustainable peace deal. A peaceful resolution of the conflict would lead to a significant reduction of violence and end of bloodshed. It will provide long-term peace, stability and prosperity for future generations of Afghanistan. The Taliban delegation appreciated Pakistan’s support for peace. US special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad also met Pakistani officials in an effort to review the Afghan peace process. The US and Taliban delegations visit has revived hopes for an Afghan peace deal.
Omar Shahkar
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2019.
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