Fazl terms Afghan rendezvous ‘successful’

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) on Friday termed his visit to Afghanistan “highly successful”, as he confirmed meeting the Afghan Taliban chief in Kandahar.

Fazl returned to Pakistan after almost a weeklong trip to Afghanistan where he met with all top Afghan Taliban leaders. The main highlight of his visit was meeting Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada. He became the first Pakistani leader to have met the reclusive Taliban chief and only the second foreign visitor to interact with him following the Qatari prime minister.

Confirming his meeting in an interview with an Afghan media outlet before wrapping up his visit, Fazl said his talks with Haibatullah were comprehensive and inclusive. He said all issues between the two sides were discussed.

During his stay in Afghanistan, the JUI-F chief apart from meeting the Taliban chief held talks with the Afghan interim prime minister, Defense, Foreign Minister, Interior and Refugees ministers. He also held a meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the co-founder of the Taliban movement, and important cabinet member of the interim government.

It was also reported that Fazl met separately with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali Mehsud and Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who runs his own militant group. Gul Bahadur was once a member of the JUI-F. There was no confirmation from either the Taliban or the JUI-F about the reported meeting between Fazl and Pakistan’s most wanted terrorists.

Read more: Kabul upbeat as Fazl meets Taliban officials

The government has, however, distanced itself from Fazl’s visit, emphasising he went there on a private trip and was not representing the state. But the fact he was given a briefing about Pakistan’s stance before he travelled to Kabul suggested that the government was not out of the picture.

Sources said Fazl would brief the relevant authorities on his return about his engagements with the Taliban leadership. Pakistani authorities were keen to know about his meeting with the Taliban chief. The sources said the Afghan Taliban were well aware of Pakistan’s stance on the TTP.

There were reports that the Taliban chief offered his country’s good offices to revive talks between Pakistan and the TTP. Haibatullah told Fazl that the Taliban’s Qatar office could be used for the purpose. The Afghan Taliban set up a political office in Doha where its representatives held a series of meetings with American officials to agree on a peace deal.

The Foreign Office, however, made it clear that Pakistan was not interested in dialogue with the TTP. The spokesperson during a weekly briefing on Thursday said Pakistan’s stance remained unchanged. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Afghan Taliban had to fulfil its promise not to allow the Afghan soil to be used against Pakistan.