Islamabad hosts key players in Afghan endgame

ISLAMABAD:

The Russian president’s point man for Afghanistan and the US Centcom chief dashed to Islamabad on Friday at a time when the peace process hangs in balance with the US and NATO forces reluctant to abide by the February 29, 2020 deal with the Taliban.

The flurry of visits by top officials of key players in the Afghan endgame suggested efforts to rescue the fragile peace process that hit a roadblock after differences between the US and Taliban on how to end the lingering war.

Ambassador Zamir Kabulov, Russian Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, held talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss the Afghan situation.

In the meanwhile, the US Centcom chief General Kenneth F McKenzie Jr also met the army chief and agreed to the need for finding a political solution to the Afghan war.

Both the visits came just a day after NATO defence ministers could not take a decision whether to withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1, as part of the deal US signed with the Taliban a year ago.

Under the Doha accord, the US and other international forces are scheduled to leave Afghanistan by May 1 in return for Taliban agreeing to not allowing Afghan soil to be used again by terrorist groups.

The US and NATO as well as Afghan government now accuse the Taliban of not living up to the pledge. Taliban have been accused of not reducing the violence as well as cutting ties to terrorist groups.

The NATO secretary general after the two-day meeting in Brussels made it clear that the troops withdrawal was dependent on the ground situation. Taliban, however, rejected the allegations that they were violating the deal.

In a series of statements issued earlier this week, the insurgent group was adamant that it took a number of steps to implement the deal. To back their claims, the Taliban said not a single American soldier has been killed since the Doha deal was signed.

Interestingly, Russia shared the Taliban view and instead accused the US of not adhering to the Doha agreement. Just before flying to Islamabad, Kubulov, in an interview to the Russian state-run media, condemned the US for what he said “unilaterally” violating the peace deal. Russia, in the past, had hosted the Taliban in an initiative facilitated by Pakistan.

With the US being reluctant to commit to troops withdrawal as agreed earlier, observers believe that the Russian special envoy’s visit is aimed at discussing alternative solutions with key regional players, including Pakistan.

Read More: COAS, Russian envoy discuss Afghan peace process

During the meeting, the officials discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security, particularly developments in the Afghan peace process,” said an official handout issued by the military’s media wing after the Russian special envoy’s meeting with the army chief in Rawalpindi.

The army chief told the envoy that peace in both countries was in the greater interest of the region. “The visiting dignitary appreciated the positive role being played by Pakistan for the Afghan peace process and expressed that, Pak-Russia relations will continue to prosper manifolds,” according to the statement.

In the meeting between General McKenzie Jr and the army chief, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation with particular reference to ongoing Afghanistan reconciliation process were discussed, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

“Both expressed unanimity of views on importance of political resolution of Afghan situation. COAS said that Pakistan is committed to efforts for peace in Afghanistan as it is important for peace in Pakistan,” said the ISPR statement. “Visiting dignitaries acknowledged Pakistan’s commendable efforts in the fight against terrorism and ensuring regional stability,” the statement added.

Later, a press release issued by the US embassy stated that the two discussed mutual regional security concerns, and McKenzie reiterated the US military's appreciation for Pakistan's contributions to the Afghan peace negotiations and the 33-nation Combined Maritime Forces.

Both senior leaders agreed to maintain close coordination in a multilateral approach to regional maritime security, especially in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, the statement added.

“We are committed to exploring new areas for collaboration in order to maintain security, stability and prosperity within the region,” McKenzie said.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Kabulov called on Foreign Minister Qureshi and the two sides exchanged views on recent developments, especially with regard to the Afghan peace process, according to an official handout of the Foreign Office.

Qureshi welcomed Kabulov and conveyed best wishes for Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The foreign minister noted that both Pakistan and Russia have convergence of views on matters of mutual interest, including an inclusive political settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan.

The foreign minister underlined that Pakistan had consistently supported the Afghan peace process. He highlighted Pakistan’s facilitation of the US-Taliban Peace Agreement and subsequent commencement of Intra-Afghan Negotiations.

Qureshi expressed the hope that the Intra-Afghan Negotiations would lead to its desired objective of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. He underlined the importance of regional consultations and appreciated the role of Four Party Talks in support of the Afghan peace process.

Qureshi also held a meeting with Ahmed Wali Massoud, the head of the Afghanistan Massoud Foundation. During the meeting, the foreign minister said peace in Afghanistan was essential for the entire region and stressed that Pakistan would continue its sincere reconciliation efforts.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said that the talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban succeeded because of Pakistan's conciliatory efforts. He expressed concern over escalation of violence in Afghanistan.

The foreign minister urged all parties in Afghanistan to make serious efforts to reduce violence. He warned that some external forces were trying to thwart the peace efforts. He also said that Pakistan wanted dignified return of Afghan refugees.

Separately, speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Massoud acknowledged Pakistan’s key role in Afghan peace and stressed that Afghanistan required a ceasefire. He emphasised that some of the Taliban's conditions should be accepted for a ceasefire in the war-torn country.

Afghanistan is located between different security zones and that is why the situation there is not better, Massoud said. He called for creating a power-sharing council, saying that the provinces could not get their due rights because of the presidential system.

He also said that national reconciliation was needed in Afghanistan and that there should be a responsible withdrawal of foreign troops. “Hopefully the new US president will keep his promises,” he added.