Pakistan told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Tuesday that a negotiated peace in Afghanistan was the best and only hope for stability and prosperity for the country and the entire region.
Speaking in the 15-member council’s debate on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, said that it was gratifying that the international community had reached a firm consensus that a political settlement was the only way to achieve peace in Afghanistan.
She said Pakistan had consistently advocated for the end to decades of war and suffering endured by the Afghan people.
Peace in Afghanistan, she reaffirmed, is in Pakistan’s vital interest.
The envoy said that a promising beginning had been made to foster a negotiating process for peace talks in the last couple of months.
Ambassador Lodhi described the positive momentum generated by the successful meeting of the Heart of Asia process hosted by Islamabad and jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Ashraf Ghani. This led to the decision by Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China to create a Quadrilateral Coordination Group to provide decisive impetus to Afghanistan’s peace efforts, she said.
Dr. Lodhi explained that the success of this new mechanism was predicated on the shared commitment and shared responsibility of each of its four members, adding that each member must play part in moving the process forward towards our common objective.
The ambassador described the task ahead as complex and arduous adding that expectations should be kept realistic and strategic patience should be shown. It is important to create an enabling environment to operationalise and sustain an Afghan-led peace process, the envoy said.
Identifying the factors critical for establishment of such an environment, she said there should be consistent and unified positions and declarations from the Afghan government affirming its commitment to work for a negotiated peace. She welcomed the recent statements by the Afghan leadership and the revamping of the High Peace Council adding that there must be a demonstrated capacity by the Afghan security forces to hold their own. This would help create conditions for the Taliban to return to the negotiating table, she said.
She urged the members of the QCG to use their respective influence and political capital to contribute to the success of the process.
Ambassador Lodhi assured the council that Pakistan would play its due part in the process. As a first step, we have offered to host direct talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban, she said.
The envoy said cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan will be a vital component of the endeavor to realise peace and security within Afghanistan and the entire region.
She said greater cooperation on border management was crucial to stop the movement of terrorists.
She pointed to incursions by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists across the international border from Afghanistan adding that despite repeated calls for cooperation by Pakistan, Kabul had not responded positively so far.
Ambassador Lodhi called on the Afghan government to support Pakistan’s efforts to manage the border.
Pakistan looks forward to a relationship with Afghanistan based on shared values and interests and respect for each other’s sensitivities. We are committed to working with Afghanistan for the improvement of the relationship for the mutual benefit of our peoples, she concluded.