Afghan officials have confirmed holding held secret talks with Taliban former second in command Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar who is under detention in Pakistan.
In the backdrop of a move, which according to officials from both countries could help rekindle stalled peace talks with insurgents, Afghan officials have often seen Pakistan as a reluctant partner in attempts to broker talks with the Taliban.
But its recent decision to grant access to Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar may signal Islamabad’s willingness to play a more active role.
The Afghan national security adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai Rangin Spanta, who is also an architect of peace-building efforts, has disclosed that an Afghan delegation had met Mullah Baradar in Pakistan two months ago, where he is undergoing detention since his arrest in the Pakistani city of Karachi in 2010.
“We have met Mullah Baradar,” Spanta told Reuters in Kabul. “Our delegation has spoken to him to know his view on peace talks.”
Afghan officials have publicly been demanding access to Baradar, the Taliban’s top military commander until he was captured in Karachi, but Spanta’s revelation shows preliminary contact has already been made.
Pakistan’s interior minister, Rehman Malik also said that Pakistan had granted Afghan officials access to Baradar, stating that, “They (Afghan officials) had access at the required and appropriate level”.
“We are fully cooperating with Afghanistan and whatever they are asking for the peace process, for developing peace in Afghanistan. We are giving every kind of help.”, the interior minister assured.
Given its close political and economic ties and because militant sanctuaries straddle the mountainous border, Pakistan is seen as crucial to stability in Afghanistan as most foreign combat troops contemplate vacating the country in 2014.
Afghan officials hope Baradar could play a key role in any negotiations to end the Afghan conflict, acting as a go-between with senior Taliban leaders including the movement’s reclusive one-eyed leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar.
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed last month to resume regular talks on Afghanistan’s peace process, with the new Pakistani prime minister promising to help arrange meetings between Afghan and Taliban representatives.
