‘Pakistan central to Afghan peace process’

WASHINGTON: The role of Pakistan is central to the Afghan peace process and the counter terrorism efforts to bring Taliban on negotiation table, says Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hanif Atmar.

Speaking here on Thursday at the US Institute of Peace, Atmar said that Kabul was engaging with the [Pakistanis] on different levels to offer concrete measure on what they can work together with the Afghan government to support the peace process. He insisted that the Afghan government "have to have good relations with Pakistan, intra-Afghan peace, and the elimination of foreign fighters, who have objectives beyond Afghanistan."

He said that there has not been any official response from the Taliban to his government's peace offer instead the group has increased violence following the initiative. He alleged that there were actors in the region who drew a distinction between good and bad terrorists. "We are increasingly facing not just the Taliban and Haqqani Network, but also many foreign fighters and terror groups. They are all drawing on the criminal economy, chiefly on drugs," he said adding that as long as the Taliban leaders have safe havens in Pakistan, there would always be an element of irreconcilable. The Afghan government, he said, was working with Chinese on that and have offered to set up a Joint Regional Investigation team to reach common goals.

Laying out the foundations of these efforts, he said that his government has launched two mutually supporting policies namely peace and reconciliation, and counter terrorism. He said the peace and reconciliation process aims to separate the Afghan Taliban from foreign fighter. "If we succeed, this will be the most effective regional and global counter terrorism strategy," he said adding that it aims to increase the number of reconcilable among the Taliban. He emphasised if the Taliban were interested in having power, they have to participate in the electoral process, a legitimate way to have the authority to govern.

Atmar also warned such groups that they could not win militarily. "We are on track with the South Asia strategy, but now we need to mobilise regional support to succeed. We must simultaneously pursue the peace and reconciliation and counter terrorism strategy which will require collaboration from regional actors," he said.

The Afghan National Security Adviser said that Kabul's High Peace Council will work on the mechanism to reach the consensus. "Our commitment was always for a peaceful and principled ways to resolve the differences," he said.