Quadrilateral Afghan peace talks begin in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Monday inaugurated the Quadrilateral Coordination Committee meeting on Afghan peace process in Islamabad.

Representatives from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States are attending the conference.

The talks are aimed at restarting the Afghan peace process and eventually ending 14 years of bloodshed fighting the Taliban insurgents.

The Foreign Office sources said they hope it will be the first step towards resuming stalled negotiations.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan is firmly committed to continue serious efforts for long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan.

He said, “Pakistan values its brotherly and neighbourly relations with Afghanistan.”

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Sartaj Aziz said the primary goal should be to convince the Taliban to come to the negotiating table and consider giving up violence.

"It is therefore important that preconditions are not attached to the start of the negotiation process. This we argue will be counterproductive," he said.

"The threat of use of military action against irreconcilables cannot precede the offer of talks to all the groups."

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry were joined by Richard Olson, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and General Anthony Rock, the top US defence representative in Pakistan, as well as China´s special envoy on Afghanistan affairs, Deng Xijun.