ISLAMABAD: Despite growing US and Afghan unease with the impasse in efforts for reviving the Afghan reconciliation process, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Monday counselled patience and called for making sure-footed progress towards peace in Afghanistan.
Gen Sharif was talking to the top commander of American and Nato troops in Afghanistan, Gen John Nicholson.
The general, who assumed the command of Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan earlier this month, was on his first visit to Pakistan.
During the meeting, both Gen Sharif and Gen Nicholson shared their assessment of the situation in Afghanistan in addition to a detailed discussion on the reconciliation process. The army chief briefed the US commander about the progress being made by Pakistani troops in counter-terrorism operations in Fata.
Gen Nicholson informed his host about the concerns in Afghanistan and US about the future of the move for restarting peace talks after Taliban’s public rejection of the invitation for direct talks with the Afghan government. He said that the Afghan government was domestically under pressure because of absence of any encouraging movement towards start of peace talks.
The Quadrilateral Coordination Group, comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan, US and China, had at the last meeting agreed on holding in the first week of March, first round of peace talks between Kabul and insurgents.
The planned resumption of dialogue, suspended since last July, could not take place after Taliban refused to attend the talks and reiterated their demand for exit of foreign troops, lifting of curbs on their leaders and release of detained militants.
Gen Sharif cautioned that there was nothing to gain from haste in convening the peace talks. He instead advised that focus should be on laying solid foundations for successful holding of the dialogue.
Reassuring the US commander of his personal commitment to the process, Gen Sharif, who is retiring in November, said that it was his personal target to see progress towards peace before the end of year.
He said Pakistan had already redoubled its efforts to getting Taliban on the negotiating table.
The army chief asked the visiting US general to put pressure on Kabul to coordinate and cooperate with Pakistan both with regards to action against sanctuaries of Pakistani militants on Afghan soil and controlling the porous border.
Gen Sharif said Pakistan was moving towards successful conclusion of operations in North Waziristan. He, however, was worried that without earnest support from Afghanistan, it would be difficult to sustain the gains against terrorism in tribal areas. http://www.dawn.com/news/1247238/army-chief-us-commander-discuss-afghan-peace-talks
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