Major recognition

Pakistan has finally been drawn formally into the Afghan peace process by the other three countries actively attempting to push it forward. Days ahead of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to the US, the country has been welcomed by into the consultation China, Russia and the United States in a press release issued after the latest meeting on the Afghan process in Beijing. The statement issued by the US State department says they believe “Pakistan can play an important role in facilitating peace.”

Pakistan has consistently sought for its role in Afghanistan to be acknowledged, as a country directly affected by developments across its western border and as the nation which hosts the largest Pashtun population in the world. It is also widely understood that Pakistan has a long-standing relationship with the Taliban, which goes back to 1979 and the then Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. It is also obvious that the diplomatic efforts to push forward peace in Afghanistan need to be driven ahead at a faster place. While round after round of talks have been continuing, they have not produced genuine results. The powers involved in the process hope that Pakistan can play a constructive role in ending the 18-year war that has effectively destroyed Afghan society, with fighting continuing in the country between the Taliban, who hold nearly 50 percent of Afghan territory, and the Kabul government which is backed by US and Nato troops. The meeting in Beijing was the third including China, Russia and the US and the first to involve Pakistan. The consensus is that there need to be further efforts to consolidate agreements on the Afghan peace process reached in Moscow on April 25. Meetings between the Taliban, the US government and representatives of Afghan civil society, facilitated by Pakistan, have also been continuing in Doha and Moscow.

It is obvious that peace in Afghanistan has become a true challenge for the world. Without the Taliban, it cannot be made possible. All efforts to persuade the Taliban to enter into direct talks with the Ashraf Ghani led government in Kabul have failed. The Taliban have also refused to lay down arms, stop terrorist attacks or agree to a ceasefire. The impact of this has been devastating. The US of course is required to play a role in this as the nation which in many ways ignited the latest round of instability by invading Afghanistan in 2001. Russia too has been a key player in Afghanistan and China has been using its influence to broker peace. Pakistan understands that for its own sake, peace is needed in Afghanistan. It must however also understand that the future of Afghanistan must lie with the people of the country and not in any way be manipulated from the outside. Whenever this has happened, the unrest and consequent suffering of the Afghan people has intensified.