For the national unity government the High Peace Council (HPC) has been the flag bearer for peace talks with the Taleban. With the sudden passing of HPC chief Sayed Ahmad Gailani there are only questions.
Activist Atefa Munir says civil society has “questions” about where the route for peace is headed. “The death of Sayed Ahmad Gailani and the reported phone conversation of the Afghan president with some religious authorities have created questions in people’s minds – where is Afghanistan located on the peace route, and who will lead the way now?”
There is speculation that Gailani’s elder son Sayed Hamed Gailani will step into his father’s shoes.
Two immediate questions that await answers: will the peace initiative continue on the same “shaky” track or can it be expected that the government will push more powerfully for results?
Political analyst Ruhullah Sadeqi believes change is unlikely. “Considering the current situation and military readiness of the (government’s) armed opponents, expecting that the current peace talks would have a specified end is not possible especially when we see that Af-Pak relations have been covered by ice and no direct or serious contact exists between the two countries.”
Pakistan’s pivotal position in influencing the progress towards peace talks is without doubt. The strain in relations between Kabul and Islamabad may be the reason why Ghani was forced to look for partners among religious figures and in military circles.
Two weeks ago, while Omar Zakhelwal was visiting Mawlana Samiul Haq, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam who was considered close to Taleban’s Mullah Omar, the Afghan president spoke to the latter over the phone for 30 minutes. The mawlana says he is ready to be an intermediary between the government and Taleban. He thinks the government must be cautious about the “influence” of India. He also repeated the oft-stated demand that the Afghan people and government must separate themselves from foreign forces in the country.
Fareeda Tamana, a civil society activist and member of Union of Liberal Youths thinks the mawlana echoes the demands of Taleban, and reveals that for Pakistan there is no room for flexibility. Pakistan is more likely to push the war in Afghanistan than see peace talks.
