As the High Peace Council set up by Afghan President Hamid Karzai is seeking a negotiated end to the decades of violence in the insurgency-hit country, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), which is considered very close to the Taliban factions, has excused from playing any considerable role in the peace process. But on the other hand, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) is ready to use moral and religious influence on the warring factions of Taliban to achieve the targets. Led by former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, the council had recently held meetings with the top Pakistani leadership besides the religio-political parties and sought support to the Afghan-led peace initiative.
Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, JUI-F General-Secretary, told Pakistan Today on Sunday that his party had excused from playing a considerable role in the peace process at official level as his party was not part of the government. “Being in the opposition, we are not in a position to play a considerable role in the peace process. However, we are ready to do the same if the president, prime minister and the chief of army staff give us mandate for the purpose,” Haideri recalled as having told the Afghan High Peace Council. He suggested that the Pakistani government should set up a similar body to coordinate with the counterpart in Afghanistan at the official level.
He also objected to what he saw a limited mandate given to the Afghan council, saying its mandate should be extended to Pakistan. “We told the Afghan High Peace Council that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are the victims of terrorism and peace initiative must be extended to Pakistan,” Haideri said. Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmad of the JI, however, said his party was ready to be a part of the reconciliation process. “We will influence the people to whom the Afghan government wanted to negotiate for the solution of Afghanistan problem on religious and moral grounds,” he said.
The JI leader said all the stakeholders must be taken into confidence while taking any major decision vis-à-vis talks with Taliban. “Pakistan doesn’t want to meddle in Afghanistan affairs but wants a stable regime there… Pakistan and all other stakeholders must be taken into confidence so that a collective effort could be undertaken to resolve the decade-old issue,” Khurshid said. The Afghan High Peace Council, which has made little headway since its formation, is willing to make concessions to bring insurgents to the negotiating table. According to Burhanuddin Rabbani, the body is independent and willing to be flexible about preconditions for any discussions with the Islamist insurgents. The honourable return of the Taliban involves position, house, salary and self-respect.
However, the Taliban have always tabled withdrawal of the nearly 150,000 foreign forces from Afghanistan as their main condition for holding talks with Karzai government.
