Reconciliation: Afghan president wants talks ‘with Pakistan first’

Reconciliation does not take place with a brother but it is done with those who fight with you, says Ghani

ISLAMABAD:

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday called for peace talks with Pakistan before initiating the stalled reconciliation process with the Taliban.

Speaking in Kandahar, Ghani said that, “Reconciliation does not take place with a brother but it is done with those who fight with you.” “We should open peace talks with Pakistan to encourage the Taliban to come to the negotiation table,” he stressed. Regarding the hue and cry raised over a recent understanding reached between the Afghan and Pakistani intelligence agencies, Ghani said he will review the agreement, adding it will be formally signed only after a consensus is developed in Afghanistan.

“The agreement has not yet been signed and reports about its signing are only speculations. The proposed agreement will be sent to the country’s National Security Council for approval,” the Afghan leader said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2015.