Prospects of peace

After eighteen years of conflict and confrontation in Afghanistan, the prospects for peace look very encouraging. The final hurdle in the intra-Afghan dialogue has been removed with the Afghan government finally agreeing to release the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners which it has been holding back and refusing to release because of their involvement in serious crimes.

The peace agreement signed between the US and the Taliban on February 29 clearly mentioned that the Taliban and the Afghan government would swap prisoners to pave the way for intra-Afghan dialogue envisaged to start on March 10. But surprisingly Afghan President Ashraf Ghani refused to release the Taliban prisoners and said that the issue could be discussed during the intra-Afghan dialogue. He even asked the Taliban to tell him when they would sever ties with Pakistan, notwithstanding the fact that it was due to the efforts of Pakistan that the Taliban had agreed to engage in dialogue with the US and also talking to the Afghan government with whom they have been refusing any engagement.

The reluctance on the part of the Afghan president created a situation which could have scuttled the agreement between the Taliban and the US, leading to a relapse of the country into conflict and instability. However, the US, Pakistan and other regional powers who have a stake in peace in Afghanistan continued their efforts to make sure that the peace process was not derailed.

The US particularly employed pressure on the Afghan government to abide by the peace agreement. These efforts finally produced the desired result when on the weekend, the Afghan grand assembly of elders approved the release of the 400 Taliban prisoners accused of "major" crimes which the authorities had initially refused to set free. They included some 44 insurgents who were of particular concern to the United States and other countries for their roles in high-profile attacks.

Among the regional countries, Pakistan undoubtedly has the highest stake in peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s support to an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned solution of the conflict in Afghanistan is dictated by the country’s own strategic, security and economic interests as well as its innate desire of peaceful co-existence with its neighbours. That is why it has been making relentless efforts for the dialogue between the US and Taliban, eventually paving the way for the much needed intra-Afghan negotiations.

Now that the obstacles to intra-Afghan dialogue have been removed and both sides are poised for first ever engagement with each to resolve the issue, Pakistan invited the Afghan Taliban to Pakistan for an exchange of views on the current status of Afghan Peace process and the way forward.

Pakistan has also held meetings with the Afghan Taliban in October 2019 at the Foreign Office and in Doha in February this year. The purpose ostensibly is to make sure that the Taliban show flexibility in their stance to level the ground for finding an amicable solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and impressing upon them the desirability of success of the process.

The ensuing intra-Afghan dialogue probably would be the most arduous undertaking to find permanent peace in that country and build a consensus on the future political structure. It will require extreme caution, flexibility from both sides and unswerving commitment.

Reportedly, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a meeting with the delegation of the Taliban on Tuesday cautioned them of the ‘spoilers’ who do not want to see the return of peace in the region. He was right on the money in pointing it out to the Taliban. Surely there are some elements within Afghanistan as well in the region, which would like to sabotage the peace process.

This is a now or never opportunity both for the Taliban and the Afghan government to end the conflict and give peace to their people which they deserve. Few would tend to differ with Qureshi’s reiteration that all the Afghan stakeholders must seize this historic opportunity to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive negotiated political solution. He rightly emphasized that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that political settlement was the only way forward.

While calling for the implementation of the peace agreement, he also re-affirmed that Pakistan would continue to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process for durable peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond. Pakistan and Afghanistan have historic, cultural and religious affinities.

It is encouraging to note that the Taliban delegation affirmed support for efforts for peace, security and development in Afghanistan and also thanked the Pakistan government for its consistent support to the people of Afghanistan, including for graciously hosting Afghan refugees.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan has not only been in contact with the Afghan Taliban but also with the Afghan government to iron out mutual differences and urge upon it the desirability of peace in the interest of Afghanistan and the whole region.

The Afghan government must act wisely in the greater interest of peace and tranquility in the country. As they say there is many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip, it would not be an easy undertaking to agree on the future political arrangement in Afghanistan due to the existence of conflicting interests within the country as well the regional environment. It is really going to test the political acumen, foresight and unwavering commitment on both sides to achieve the desired objective.

Afghanistan faces an uphill task in not only returning to peace but also to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure and economy. The redeeming factor is that regional powers including Pakistan and China are also committed to help Afghanistan in the rebuilding phase– provided the Afghans are able to end the conflict in the country and pull it out of the quagmire that it is stuck at the moment.

The writer is a freelance contributor. Email: ashpak10@gmail.com