Pakistan willing to help US with Afghan peace talks: FM
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it was ready to extend all possible help to the US to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table and restore peace in conflictridden Afghanistan.
Washington has been pushing Islamabad to play its part in ending the decades-long conflict, but relations have soured since President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of providing a safe haven for terrorists.
To ease the tension between the two countries a US special envoy tasked with finding a solution to the war, Zalmay Khalilzad, has been meeting key Pakistani figures to bring them back on board with the peace effort.
Trump also wrote to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier this week, seeking help to find a negotiated settlement.
“The United States has finally agreed to initiate a dialogue with the Afghan Taliban which is a positive move,” ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammad Faisal told Arab News.
“Pakistan has been pressing the US for the last 10 years to settle the Afghan conflict through dialogue and negotiations with the Taliban. The important thing at this stage is that the US is finally engaging the Afghan Taliban in dialogue,” he said, adding that “the strategies and all other things can be worked out mutually.”
Khalilzad met Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on Tuesday.
He will also travel to Afghanistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Belgium, the UAE, and Qatar.
“He will meet with Afghan government officials and other interested parties to support and facilitate an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan, empowering the Afghan people to decide their nation’s fate,” the US State Department said.
Rahimullah Yousufzai, a security analyst and expert on Afghan affairs, said Pakistan’s influence over the Taliban had waned over time.
“There is a need to adopt a more regional approach to convince the Taliban to enter negotiations with the Afghan government. China and Iran should also be involved in the negotiations process for a positive result,” he told Arab News.
Yousufzai said there was no imminent solution to the Afghan conflict but there could be a drop in bombings and other terror attacks in the region if Pakistan and the US were able to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Taliban.
Prof. Tahir Malik said the hurdles to a dialogue with the Taliban could only be removed if Pakistan and the US moved ahead with a joint strategy.
“It is heartening to see the relations of Islamabad and Washington are warming up after years, and hopefully this will help restore peace in Afghanistan,” he told Arab News.