ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said efforts were being made to revive fragile Afghan peace process even as the Taliban this week announced the start of their ‘spring offensive.’
Speaking at the weekly news briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakria hinted at convening the four-nation meeting to discuss prospects of direct talks between the Afghan government and the insurgent group.
The initiative, led by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the United States, came to a dead-end when the Afghan Taliban refused to attend a face-to-face meeting with Afghan negotiators in Islamabad in the first week of March.
Thursday’s push comes just days after the Afghan Taliban said that they were launching a ‘spring offensive’ in the war-torn country in a move that many believe may undermine peace efforts.
“It is in the interest of all groups in Afghanistan to participate in the process as this is the best hope to bring peace in Afghanistan and the entire region,” Nafees argued.
The spokesperson said US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Olson recently visited Islamabad to discuss the current Afghan situation.
“Olson’s call on the Foreign Secretary prospects of next QCG meeting and situation in Afghanistan were discussed, among other matters and it was agreed that it should be held at the earliest on mutually convenient date,” Nafees added.
Pakistan’s de facto foreign minister Sartaj Aziz had last week suggested that the QCG was likely to meet in Islamabad this month, but he didn’t say anything about the talks or give a definite date.
The first round of talks was scheduled to take place in the first week of March in Pakistan. But the meeting could not go ahead after Taliban refused to enter into the negotiating table.
Asked to comment on reports alleging that Pakistan was not making serious efforts for Afghan peace talks, the spokesperson said it would be ‘disingenuous’ to question the country’s commitment to the reconciliation process.
“Pakistan has been engaged in sincere and consistent efforts for promoting lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. To this end, we have been making serious efforts to facilitate an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process,” he maintained.
The spokesperson also dismissed reports that Afghan government refused to be part of the QCG.
“Afghanistan is very much a part of the QCG. All the four countries are committed to ensuring that peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan takes place,” he said.
Afghan Ambassador Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal also on Thursday hoped that Pakistan could still persuade the Afghan Taliban to return to the negotiating table despite their announcement to start the spring offensive.
Afghan peace process: Gen Raheel, Gen Nicholson review talks resumption
http://tribune.com.pk/story/1084835/afghan-peace-process-efforts-being-made-to-revive-talks-with-taliban-says-fo/
Janjua calls for stable Pak-Afghan ties,early end to terrorism
ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser (NSA) Lieutenant General (R) Nasser Khan Janjua said that reintegration and reconciliation strategies were the only alternative policy measures required to ensure stable and sustainable Pak-Afghan relations.
He was speaking on the second day of the two-day national conference organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Department of Peace and Conflict Studies of National Defence University on the issue of ‘Pakistan’s Policy of Countering Violent Extremism: Progress and Challenges,’ says a press release.
He also lauded civil-military cooperation observed in Operation Zarb-e-Azb. He said that the monkey of terrorism must be diminished sooner than later. He advised students present at the national conference to dig deeper and understand the history and conflicts going on and start asking questions.
Major General Fida Hussain Malik was of the view, “There should be a non-interference treaty between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is essential for Pakistan to take a correct measure of all the implications and fallouts of instability in Afghanistan that directly affect Pakistan’s own security situation.” Dr Tughral Yamin informed the audience that Operation Zarb-e-Azb was in the final phase and the results and successes were already visible in the form of national confidence and return of meaningful Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Concluding the national conference, panel of military and civilian scholars presented the following recommendations as a way forward for Pakistan’s policy of countering violent extremism:
1. Zero tolerance for intolerance and militancy should be continued;
2. Reviewing the syllabi of our schools, colleges and universities to eradicate extremism;
3. Ensuring good governance, rule of law, efficient and affordable justice system;
4. Positive transformation in the human mind in the form of tolerance;
5. Teachers, students, religious scholars, local clergy and parents should be trained to promote peace instead of hatred.
The conference is being attended by eminent scholars from across Pakistan who also presented their research papers. The scholars are Dr Zubair Ghori, Major General Fida Hussain Malik, Dr Tughral Yamin, Brig (R) Amir Yaqoub, Major General Najam-ul-Hassan, Prof Naseem-ur-Rehman, Imtiaz Gul, Assistant Prof Mohammad Feyyaz, Prof Rashid Khan, Prof Moonis Ahmar, Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi, Dr Minhas Majeed Khan, Dr Farhan Hanif Siddiqui and Dr Naeem Ahmed. The seminar was well attended by policy makers, democrats, legal experts, and members of civil society, media and a large number of students. http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/112808-Janjua-calls-for-stable-Pak-Afghan-tiesearly-end-to-terrorism
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