Gov’t warns Pakistan to persuade Taliban for peace talks

President’s deputy spokesman has warned Pakistan to make Taliban ready for Peace Talks; otherwise, the Afghan people would never believe in its commitments.

Islamabad is expected to have a key role in bringing the Taliban, which is based in Pakistan, to the table eventually.

Dawa Khan Mina Pal, president’s deputy spokesman stresses that Pakistan should fulfill the commitments of quartet meeting in Islamabad.

“Afghan government demands Pakistan to fulfill the commitments of the quartet meeting and make Taliban ready for peace negotiations,” Dawa Khan Mina Pal, president’s deputy spokesman said.

While Islamabad announces readiness for holding the fifth session of the quartet meeting, the Afghan government considers Taliban accept peace talks the main pre-condition to trust on Pakistan.

Previously, representatives from four nations involved in talks aimed at ending the violence in Afghanistan have agreed to continue to push for direct peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

They said the countries “agreed to continue joint efforts for setting a date for direct peace talks between the representatives of the Afghan government and Taliban groups expected to take place by the end of February 2016.”

But the question that remains is why Pakistan plays a dual game against the Afghan-Taliban peace talks process?.

A number of Afghan analysts are said to believe that Pakistan has many aims to gain and supports Taliban for achieving them.

“Pakistan is trying to strengthen Taliban and seeks to officially recognize it,” Nasratullah Istanikzai, political analyst said.

“Without reaching to targets, Pakistan would never take honest steps for Afghanistan’s peace,” Senator Nadir Baloch said.

The Taliban has not indicated whether it intends to join the peace process.  Instead, the Taliban has intensified its insurgent activities and extended its control or influence to an estimated 30 percent of Afghan territory during the past year.

Relations in the neighborhood are plagued by mutual distrust. While Afghanistan harbors concerns about Pakistan providing sanctuary to the Afghan Taliban, particularly the Haqqani network, Islamabad voices concerns about Pakistani Taliban fighters operating from the Afghan soil.

Separately, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appointed and introduced the new head of the High Peace Council in charge of persuading armed groups to end violence and join the national political reconciliation process.

The council’s new chief, Pir Sayed Ahmad Gilani, is a prominent Afghan jihadi leader who is respected by tribes across Afghanistan.

Former president Hamid Karzai set up the council in 2010 to assist the government in promoting peace and reconciliation with armed opposition groups.

But the panel, which consists of prominent Afghan religious and political as well as jihadi personalities, has failed to achieve a significant breakthrough amid growing demands for the council’s dissolution to save critical state financial resources.