WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary said on Monday that Pakistan supports the participation of the Taliban in the future setup of Afghanistan as Kabul and Washington continue working to end militancy from the country.
Speaking to a Women’s Foreign Policy Group in Washington, he said that the example of Gulbadin Hikmatyar was relevant in this connection as his name was omitted from the list of the United Nations (UN) designated terrorists, thus paving the way for him to become a part of Afghanistan’s political setup. He also said that a similar policy could be developed for the Taliban in order to bring them to the negotiating table.
The Pakistani envoy further said that Taliban were considering this offer, but interestingly, his country was yet to witness any public response in this regard. He said that Pakistan was familiar with Washington’s efforts to resume talks between the Afghan government and Taliban fighters with the intervention of US Defence Secretary James Mattis.
Chaudhary also said that the chances for establishing peace in Afghanistan were bright if the recent developments were to be considered. He said that Pakistan had always called for a dialogue because it believed there was no military solution to the Afghan war.
