Conditions before talks not suitable, says Sartaj

Asserts primary aim is to bring Taliban to negotiation table;Pakistan pursuing zero tolerance policy against terrorism

ISLAMABAD: As the first meeting of the Quadrilateral Contact Group (QCG) comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States kicked off on Monday, Islamabad made it very clear that it was not appropriate to put conditions before talks and any threats of military action against the Afghan Taliban when they return to the table to start the negotiations process, as this would make the exercise counterproductive.

“The primary objective of the reconciliation process is to create conditions to bring the Taliban groups to the negotiation table and offer them incentives that can persuade them to move away from using violence as tool for pursuing political goals. It is, therefore, important that pre-conditions are not attached to the start of the negotiation process,” Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz stated in his opening remarks at the Foreign Office.

Monday’s meeting is the outcome of the last month’s Heart of Asia Conference when the decision for the quadrilateral meeting was announced. Also attended by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Khalil Hekmat Karzai, the meeting saw no representative from the Afghan Taliban who now from a position of strength control two thirds of Afghanistan and have so far not made any public statement to support the Monday’s talks or a desire to return to the negotiation table.

Pakistan also appears realistic while advocating that “political reconciliation by nature is a complex process requiring time, patience and sense of accommodation by the concerned parties with a view to arriving at a win-win solution.” The QCG, which sees Pakistan, China and Afghanistan as facilitators, agreed that politically-negotiated settlement was the most viable option for durable peace in Afghanistan and this would lead to the reconciliation process between the Afghan government and Taliban groups. The meeting was assured that the process has to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned as an externally imposed settlement was neither desirable nor it would be sustainable.

Three other pointers were also outlined by Sartaj Aziz who stressed that the work of the group would be kept out of the media glare. Sartaj Aziz also cautioned that a roadmap which will see the return of the Afghan Taliban towards negotiations was important but the same should be “realistic and flexible”.

“It should broadly define steps and phases but avoid unrealistic targets and deadlines,” he added.

While there were reports from Kabul that Pakistan would bring to the meeting a list of the Afghan Taliban both who were ready for negotiations and those who opposed it and would continue to be ruled by the gun, Sartaj Aziz cautioned, “Distinction between reconcilables and irreconcilables and how to deal with the irreconcilables can follow once the avenues for bringing them to the talks have been exhausted”.

Pakistan also told the meeting that the threat of the use of military action against irreconcilables cannot precede the offer of talks to all the groups and their response to such offers. “Proper sequencing of actions and measures in the process would be significant in paving the way for direct talks with Taliban groups,” he added.

However, without spelling them out, the adviser also recommended “certain confidence building measures” that could play a key role in encouraging the Taliban groups to join the negotiation process. “At the outset, I want to reaffirm that Pakistan values its brotherly and neighbourly relations with Afghanistan, and is firmly committed to continue serious efforts for long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he said.

“The Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process provided positive impetus to our quest for lasting peace in Afghanistan. While the conference reaffirmed collective regional and international resolve for promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, the meetings on the sidelines between as well as our quadrilateral interaction involving Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States reflected important consensus on the way forward on Afghan peace and reconciliation process,” the adviser said.

The Monday’s meeting comes after important talks were held between President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last month and also some “useful interaction” by Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif in his meetings with the Afghan leadership for “strengthening security and counterterrorism cooperation through intelligence sharing and facilitating the Afghan peace and reconciliation process”.

Outlining the priorities of the group, Sartaj Aziz said that the first and foremost task before the group is to define the overall direction of the reconciliation process along with the goals and targets it would like to set with a view to creating a conducive environment for holding direct talks between the Afghan government and Taliban groups. “It is important to undertake a realistic assessment of the opportunities as well as anticipated obstacles in the process and then develop clarity on how to proceed further. In our view, assigning specific tasks amongst us in accordance with the principle of shared responsibility will be crucial for getting the desired outcome,” he stressed.

Focusing on the future, the adviser pointed out that Pakistan, Afghanistan and China are three close neighbours having common interests and stakes in promoting peace and development in the region. “The geo-strategic location of our three countries makes us important partners in transforming our region into a regional hub providing at the crossroads of east and west. Enduring peace and stability in Afghanistan can enable our three countries to reap economic benefits accruing from this natural strategic advantage,” he said.

It was important, he added, that Pakistan remains focused on strengthening engagement and collaboration with Afghanistan in the fields of security and counterterrorism with a view to creating conducive environment for steering infrastructure and energy connectivity projects. “We are looking forward to the mega China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to become the catalyst for trans-regional commerce, trade, industry and investment flows. The project has been rightly termed as a gamechanger as it has the potential to change the fortunes of our peoples by fostering employment, economic growth and development”, he said.

Sartaj assured the participants that Pakistan’s counter-terrorism policy is based on zero tolerance for any terrorist group or outfit. “Indiscriminate action against the terrorist outfits in Zarb-e-Azb is un-refutable evidence of our strong conviction. We believe that close cooperation at bilateral and regional levels is vital to eliminate this scourge and realise our shared goal of economic integration and connectivity,” he said.