Pursuit of Afghan peace…

Learning from the bitter experience of post-Soviet forces withdrawal era in Afghanistan, Pakistan has urged the United States to avoid repeating the past mistake and fulfill its responsibility by actively participating in the reconstruction of Afghanistan when it withdraws its troops from this country in the wake of a peace deal with Taliban. Positive signals about a peace agreement on Afghanistan are emerging from the ongoing talks between the Taliban and the US negotiators being held in Doha, Qatar.

Foreign Minister Shah MehmoodQureshi is in Washington. He is meeting with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the momentum of peace deal between Taliban and the US and the situation inside Afghanistan when US troops are withdrawn. He has met leading members of US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations who appreciated Pakistan’s role in Afghan peace process and expressed the hope that its support will continue for bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan. Earlier in video message Shah MehmoodQuershi said that Taliban have shown their willingness to reduce violence in Afghanistan. It is pertinent to mention that it were the Taliban attacks on US led NATO Forces, Afghan Forces and civilian that prompted President Donald Trump to suspend the Doha Peace Talks Process in September last year.

Taliban and the US negotiating teams have held meeting to discuss the modalities of peace agreement in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday. Sources privy to the latest round of talks have revealed that Taliban have agreed to implement 10 days ceasefire with the US, reduce the level of fighting against Afghan forces and enter into dialogue with the officials of President Ashraf Ghani government. Honoring these commitments will open a door for intra-Afghan dialogue and clinching a broad based political settlement, taking on board all stakeholders.

It was the lack of a broad based political settlement before the withdrawal of Soviet Forces from Afghanistan and abandoning of this country by the United States and its allies that former Mujahedeen groups landed in a fratricidal war. Afghanistan became safe haven for terrorist outfits and hence the occurrence of 9/11. Former Afghan President DR. Najeebullah had made frantic efforts to reach out to leaders of all Mujahedeen groups and agree on a political settlement under the auspices of United Nations during the ongoing withdrawal process of foreign forces from Afghanistan. The past mistake must not be repeated.