Pakistan floats key suggestions

The Quadrilateral Contact Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States on Monday emphasised immediate need for direct talks between Afghan government and Taliban groups in a peace process that aims to preserve Afghanistan's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The representatives of the four-country QCG in its first meeting underscored the importance of brining an end to the conflict in Afghanistan that continues to inflict senseless violence on the Afghan people and also breeds insecurity throughout the region, according to the joint statement issued following the meeting.
The delegations were led by Afghan deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson and China's Special Envoy for Afghanistan Deng Xijun. The statement further stated that the discussions focused on undertaking a clear and realistic assessment of the opportunities for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, anticipated obstacles and measures that would help create conducive environment for peace talks with the shared goal of reducing violence and establishing lasting peace in Afghanistan.
Presenting Pakistan's position on the peace process, Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, floated certain suggestions in his opening statement, saying that there should be no pre-conditions attached to the start of negotiation process between Afghan government and the Taliban, terming it as counterproductive and that the process should broadly define steps and phases, but avoid unrealistic targets and deadlines.
Aziz said that reconciliation through a politically negotiated settlement is an arduous and complex task. In order to ensure that the process remains constructive and achieves a meaningful outcome, he forwarded five important elements relating to the process.
Firstly, he said 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. This in our view will be counterproductive," he added.
Secondly, he said, proper sequencing of actions and measures in the process would be significant in paving the way for direct talks with Taliban groups. "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", he said, adding 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.
Thirdly, he stated that certain CBMs can play a key role in encouraging Taliban groups to join the negotiation process. Fourthly, while the roadmap is important for charting the course of action, it has to be realistic and flexible, he said, adding it should broadly define steps and phases, but avoid unrealistic targets and deadlines. Finally, while positive public messaging is important, keeping in view the sensitive nature of Group's work, Aziz suggested it should be our endeavour to keep the work of this group out of media glare, as much as possible.
At the outset, the Adviser reaffirmed that Pakistan values its brotherly and neighbourly relations with Afghanistan, and is firmly committed to making serious efforts for long term peace and stability in Afghanistan. He pointed out that on the meetings on sidelines of the fifth Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process between President Ahraf Ghani and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif 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.
He said that during the meetings they took two key decisions on the way forward: (a) politically negotiated settlement was the most viable option for durable peace in Afghanistan; and (b) Towards that end, the quadrilateral group should closely co-ordinate the reconciliation process between Afghan government and Taliban groups.
He stated that Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif also visited Afghanistan on 27 December, 2015 and had useful interaction with the Afghan side for strengthening security and counterterrorism cooperation through intelligence sharing and facilitating the Afghan peace and reconciliation process. He said 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 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 underscored.
He also emphasised that the ToRs have to be consistent with the objectives and mandate of the Group.
"I am confident that the meeting of the Quadrilateral group will have constructive and meaningful deliberations focusing on all relevant issues and charting the way forward through a politically negotiated settlement," he added. According to the joint statement, the Group reiterated the commitment of their countries to the realisation of objectives expressed in their statement from the quadrilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia Conference in Islamabad on 9 December 2015.
Building on the outcome of December 9 trilateral and quadrilateral meetings, they considered mutual efforts to facilitate an Afghan-led and Afghan¬ owned peace and reconciliation process with a view to achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.
The sources said that certain options were also discussed like giving amnesty, prisoners' exchanges and other steps for confidence building measures. However, the participants were of the view to continue the discussions on measures. The meeting adopted the terms for the work of the QCG and agreed to continue regular meetings to advance the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. It was also agreed that the group would hold discussions on a roadmap at its next meeting to be held on 18th 11 January 2016 in Kabul.
Earlier, talking briefly to reporters, Sartaj Aziz hoped the Group's meeting will be able to prepare a roadmap for resumption of the peace talks between Afghan government and the Taliban groups. Asked about the media reports regarding the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, the Adviser described the reports as "baseless rumours".