Sartaj Aziz. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz arrived in Kabul on Friday to push for a restart of Afghan peace negotiations, Pakistan Embassy officials told The Express Tribune.
Afghan deputy national security adviser received Aziz on arrival at Kabul airport, the embassy spokesman, Akhtar Munir, said.
"Aziz will hold talks with his Afghan counterpart, Hanif Atmar, and Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani," Munir added.
Further, the spokesperson said, "Aziz will also lead Pakistan in the ministerial meeting of the Sixth Regional Economic Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA-VI)."
The visit is seen as crucial and could help reduce the ongoing friction between the two neighbours. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have increased following a series of attacks in Kabul by Taliban which also led to the cancellation of Pakistan's brokered peace talks.
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Meanwhile, ahead of Aziz's visit a senior Pakistani official informed the media in Islamabad that he will call for an end in the deadlock in peace negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban as pursuing a “military option will result in a fallout.”
The official on the condition of anonymity said, “Aziz during the visit, also aims to find out whether the Afghan leaders really want the intra-Afghan dialogue to be revived or not."
"We will push for peace talks. The Afghan government will have to choose between peace talks and military. And if Kabul insists on a military option then there will be a need for broad-based consultations involving the United States, China and all other major stakeholders," the official added.
Further, he said, "A total of eight Taliban ‘Rehbari Shura’ (leadership council) members were ready for the second round of talks on July 31 and there was a strong possibility that the two leaderships would have reached some understanding, thus reducing hostilities in Afghanistan.”
Read: Islamabad to ask Kabul to end anti-Pakistan propaganda
"A message from the Pakistani leadership will also be conveyed by Aziz to Afghan leaders pushing them to take steps towards restoration of mutual trust," the official stated.
While discussing Kabul's recent act of publicly accusing Pakistan’s security establishment for orchestrating the fresh terrorist attacks in the war-torn country, the official said, "We believe that statements from the leadership against Pakistan undermine mutual trust. We have shown restraint and did not respond to statements by Afghan leaders in the interest of bilateral relations. Statements by senior officials flare up sentiments and Aziz will call for end to such statements."
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Pakistan, willing to become guarantor for any peace agreement, for the first time ever hosted peace talks between representatives of the Afghan government and Taliban in Islamabad on July 7.
The second round of talks which was scheduled for July 31, was postponed upon Taliban's request in view of the confirmation of Afghan Taliban supremo Mullah Omar's death.
Due to a series of attacks in Kabul by the militant group in early August, the Afghan government said it wants to lead the reconciliation process without the involvement of any other country.
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