KABUL – Pakistan and Afghanistan on Saturday engaged in a day-long discourse to remove the trust deficit and shape up indigenous efforts to eliminate terrorism by launching a reconciliatory process with all insurgents – mainly the Taliban.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani flew to Afghanistan on an official visit and held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on issues including terrorism and peace talks with the Taliban before the pair held a joint press conference.
Gilani was accompanied by Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani, Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.
Addressing the press conference, the two chief executives announced that as a first step, the two countries had agreed to form a two-tier joint commission to carry forward the reconciliation process with the insurgents and top civilian and military brass would be members of the commission.
“First tier of the commission will include the chief executives of both the countries, foreign ministers and army chiefs along with heads of the intelligence agencies, while the second tier will consist of senior officials of the foreign ministries, military and intelligence services,” Prime Minister Gilani said.
“I have assured President Karzai that Pakistan strongly supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process for reconciliation and peace. We firmly believe that this process must have full Afghan ownership. It is for the Afghan nation to determine the parameters on which a reconciliatory and peace process would be shaped,” he said.
Gilani said that Pakistan extends full support to the efforts of President Karzai and the High Peace Council for initiating an inclusive process of grand national reconciliation in which all the Afghans not only have a stake, but the process also promises peace and stability in their country in the future. Asked whether the US administration was on board on the joint efforts, Gilani took a pause and looked at President Karzai, who nodded him in an affirmative.
“Yes, the US is on board. We have our core group and whatever will be decided, will be among Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US,” Gilani said. Asked whether the Taliban had set any condition for talks, Gilani said conditions, qualifications or demands at this stage might not be helpful.
To a query whether he was in unanimity of views with President Asif Ali Zardari who said a destabilised Afghanistan could have a negative impact on Pakistan, Gilani said he fully endorsed Zardari’s views. He said his visit was particularly aimed at working out a common strategy to jointly fight terrorism which was a threat to both nations.
President Karzai welcomed Pakistan’s proposal of a joint commission, saying he would discuss the proposal with other stakeholders and the final announcement would be made in Islamabad during his upcoming visit to Pakistan. He said that Pakistan’s role as a facilitator in the pace process was important and whatever Prime Minister Gilani said was a fundamental shift in Pakistan’s earlier position.
“We today have clarity, which never existed earlier. The message from Prime Minister Gilani on the reconciliation process is very clear and important. The two sides held detailed talks on all aspects, including the situation in the region and bilateral political, economic and trade relations,” he added. Karzai said the US and Pakistan could play an important role in bringing peace to Afghanistan, adding that efforts by Saudi Arabia and Turkey were also important.
He said Afghanistan welcomed the US role in peace in the region and he had an extensive talk with US President Barack Obama recently. Without referring to the capture of Taliban leader Mullah Barader in Pakistan, Karzai said he hoped that those Taliban who entered the peace process and happened to be in Pakistan would be given protection there. Karzai said besides the talks with the insurgents, his government would make sure that the gains of progress on women, education and other segments, as well as the constitution, would remain intact.
Asked if Afghanistan was ready to assist Pakistan by securing the transit route to central Asia, Karzai said Pakistan’s connectivity to the central Asia was also a cause of Afghanistan, as this would create business opportunities in the country. He said the main focus of the talks with Pakistani delegation was the commonalities between the two sides, as both wanted to build on economic gains.
Karzai said there were four road-links between both the neighbours which could be exploited to boost trade opportunities.
Comment on safe heavens inside Pakistan, Gilani denied the existence of such sanctuaries and stressed on jointly fighting terrorism. Asked about the fate of Al Qaeda if talks with the Taliban succeed, Gilani said, “It is your country’s problem and you have to decide and set the parameters.” About the role of the United States in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Gilani said, “Whatever is the policy of the US on Afghanistan, Pakistan will support Afghanistan.”
Gilani said he held in-depth consultations with Karzai on the situation prevailing in the region and various initiatives that were being talked about for promoting reconciliation and peace. “I would like to laud the efforts of our Afghan brothers and sisters across length and breadth of Afghanistan to realize their legitimate aspirations for peace and stability,” Gilani said.
