Afghan Taliban and former warlords will gather in Moscow on February 5-6 to discuss the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and ongoing efforts for restoration of peace and stability in the war-torn country.
Diplomatic sources told Business Recorder that Pakistan will not officially participate in the upcoming conference on Afghanistan in Moscow which has been organized by leading Russia/Afghan businessmen and politicians who are not part of the Kabul administration.
Afghan Taliban, have reportedly, accepted the invitation to attend the moot which will also bring together representatives from various other countries including South Asian States and Iran.
"Pakistan supports all initiatives aimed at bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan...Since this is not an official meeting so, Pakistan was neither invited nor will we attend it", said a senior government official.
The official insisted that Pakistan is already engaged in various initiatives aimed at restoration of peace in Afghanistan, including the one which involves United States and Afghan Taliban, and another important initiative launched by Russia under the 'Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan' involving over a dozen countries including US, India, Iran and South Asian States.
Russian media, however, reported that invitations were extended to various countries and representatives from Iran and Pakistan will also attend the two-day conference.
Another official, who wished not to be named, said that Pakistan Embassy officials in Moscow may attend the moot. The two-day conference in Moscow is being held in the wake of the recent visit of Russian Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Zamir Kabulov to Pakistan on January 29, 2019 who exchanged views on Afghanistan's situation with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in which the two sides agreed to support all efforts for peace and stability in the country through close coordination.
The sources said that Afghan government has also been given an invitation to send its delegation to the conference, however, Kabul has not yet indicated whether it would attend the moot or not, given its serious reservations at the Taliban's reluctance to hold direct talks with the Afghan government which the group considers as a 'puppet' of the US.
They further said that senior Afghan politicians including former President Hamid Karzai, those senior Afghan politicians who are not part of the Kabul administration, prominent members of the Afghan community in Russia, European countries and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will also attend the moot.
"Though this is not an official conference, yet it is an important event due to the fact that senior Afghan politicians including former Afghan warlords including Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and a delegation of senior Taliban members will meet on a rare occasion in Russia", a diplomat said, adding that the talks during the moot will also help in future formation of the Afghan government.
The conference is being held at a time when the US and the Taliban agreed on a draft framework of a peace deal aimed at ending the 17-year war in Afghanistan following a week-long brainstorming in Doha.
"The path to peace doesn't often run in a straight line. The situation in Afghanistan is complex and like all sensitive talks, not everything is conducted in public. Let me take a moment to explain where we are...We made significant progress on two vital issues: counter terrorism and troop withdrawal. That doesn't mean we're done", said Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation in a series of tweets on Friday.
He further stated: "We're not even finished with these issues yet, and there is still work to be done on other vital issues like intra-Afghan dialogue and a complete ceasefire. Skeptics have rushed to judgment based on just the first part of a much larger effort, as though we have a completed agreement. But you can't eat an elephant in one bite! And a forty year old war won't be resolved in one meeting, even if that meeting runs for close to a week."
Ambassador Khalilzad also stated that this is a moment for Afghans to begin to heal old wounds and chart a new course for their country. "There are many players, many issues, and many moving parts. But we are on the right path, together. As President Donald Trump said, talks are proceeding well," he added.
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