KABUL: (MEP) The first round of quadrilateral peace process talks to achieve the roadmap, was held yesterday in Islamabad and the participants were happy in the end with only a statement.
At the end of this round of talks led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aziz Ahmad Chaudhry, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Richard G. Olson and China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador Deng Xijun, was decided to hold the next round of talks next week January 18th in Kabul.
According to the quadrilateral statement, the obligations of the Heart of Asia summit, facilitate Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process, the importance of ending the war in Afghanistan, the need for direct talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan’s peace and assessment opportunities were emphasized.
Given all the optimism about the meeting, an important decision about the peace talks, specifying on which of the Taliban group to participate in peace process talk and mapping the roadmap were not detailed, only on “emphasis” was stressed; something that before all participants had also emphasized on.
Meanwhile, at the beginning of the meeting, Sartaj Aziz, advisor to the Ministry of National Security and Foreign Affairs in the Prime Minister of Pakistan spoke on providing “Incentives” with the Taliban and to create “Trust” for Taliban.
“To achieve peace roadmap, the issues must be considered and taken into account by the participants.” He said.
But now the question arises of who should provide “trust and confidence” to the Taliban and what kind of “incentives” to be considered for them to show enthusiasm to peace process talks.
However, the Afghan government has repeatedly stated that none of the opposition groups in peace talks will be given points and any of these groups, who refuse to take part for talks, will be facing fight.
The National Unity Government (NUG) before the meeting announced that all opposition groups should attend the peace process talks without preconditions.
Something that is quite contrary to the claims of Mr. Aziz which itself indicates their desires and goals of both Kabul and Islamabad participants to determine the roadmap peace is different.
The difference which seems to be also “great” can create damage in the quadrilateral peace process talks and turns it into “challenge”.
On the way to build “trust” and “incentives” for the Taliban shows on the other hand that Pakistan was aware of Taliban’s “intent” to reach their goals by bringing up these cases to prevent the main purpose of the negotiations.
The main purpose of the talks that after the death of Mullah Mohammad Omar was issued a “deadlock” reached, peace and stability in Afghanistan and parts of the other side of ‘Durand Line’ was that the remarks by Sartaj Aziz would create confusion in this regard.
The confusion in order to motivate to Islamabad to convince the Taliban for negotiations or to Taliban for advancing their goals, serious concerns would be created among the people and the government in which the national interests of Afghanistan will be attacked.
On the other hand, after the confirmation of Mullah Mohammad Omar’s death, Taliban essentially were divided into several categories and each of the groups show strength in different areas of the country and lead many kind of goals and targets which will lengthwise the roadmap peace’ since it has not yet determined which of the groups are ready for negotiating and what sort of purposes they have.
Determination of the groups was not mentioned in the statement of the quadrilateral peace process talks and it is not clear whether the issue would be determined or, again according to the previous speech “emphasis” would conclude?
However, waiting to see whether peace with giving “incentives” and “trust” for opposition can be useful for the country or in between; lack of strength and power of the state would make the talks fruitless or to take it even longer?
To reach the roadmap “peace” requires strength and stability to meet the objectives of the demands and interests of the people and nation who are victims of the lack of peace in the country.
