Pakistan military establishment has reaffirmed its commitment to the Afghan peace process, emphasising an Afghan-led and owned reconciliation process. During a meeting with US Central Command Chief General Joseph Votel at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa also called for an end to the blame game in the wake of rhetoric used by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accusing Pakistan of supporting the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan claims that it supports peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government and it is ready to play its role for the establishment of peace in Afghanistan. The commitment shown by the Pakistan army is commendable but in practice there are some alleged ambiguities in the policy. There are allegations that Pakistan has not cut covert ties to the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network. Regarding Pakistan’s role in convincing the Taliban to come to the negotiating table, the UN is wary of Pakistan’s dual policies. It is reluctant to trust Pakistan due to its security agencies’ alleged involvement in Afghanistan and their links with the Afghan Taliban. There are accusations that the security agencies are continuing to use the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network as strategic assets.
No doubt the peace process is fraught with many problems and challenges. There are reports of divisions among the Taliban while insurgent attacks are increasing in Afghanistan. There are concerns about the ability of Pakistan to convince the Taliban to come to the negotiations table. The situation is heading towards more chaos as fighting is raging in Afghanistan. In this situation, Pakistan cannot be immune to this civil strife in its neighbouring country. Wisdom demands that Pakistan should get rid of its dual policy towards the Taliban and convince them to hold talks with the Afghan government. There is a need to find a political settlement to the present stalemate between the Afghan government and the Taliban. The revival of Afghan peace talks is the only way out for Afghanistan to achieve lasting peace and stability. A peaceful Afghanistan will ensure stability in its neighbouring states, primarily Pakistan. Pakistan needs to play its active role in convincing the Taliban to come to the peace table and if they are divided it will be a little bit tougher, but the peace process must be persisted with. Pakistan should adopt a consistent policy and avoid a contradictory role that could prove a failure in the end. If Pakistan wants to win the NATO’s trust, it has to completely abandon its support to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network’s continuing to fight and nudge them towards negotiations. This is the only solution for bringing a lasting peace in the region. *