Despite repeated attempts the government has not been able to get the Taleban to sit down to peace talks. The Taleban have not conceded political power to the government.
Despite repeated attempts the government has not been able to get the Taleban to sit down to peace talks. The Taleban have not conceded political power to the government.A loya jirga in 2010 in Kabul decided to set up a High Peace Council with 68 members including eight women. The council has not been able to win even the people’s support.
Ahmad Zia Refat, a lecturer in Kabul University, says, “Though there is need for such an institution … the High Peace Council has not had any tangible success.”
But Masoum Stanekzai, the head of its secretariat, says optimistically, “It is not possible that Afghans will not get peace. The day is coming definitely… The future generation will live in peace. The process of peace is not easy.”
The High Peace Council is banking on a new emissary: Mullah Agha Jan Moatasem who was released from UAE custody. “We hope that the UAE would prepare the ground for the current and former Taleban authorities to attend informal and preliminary talks for the exchange of views. We can hold informal talks with Taleban movement via Agha Jan,” says Mohammad Amin Waqad, a member of the council speaking to the media.
Political commentators think Afghanistan has always tried to work through individuals related to the Taleban instead of a well thought out plan of action to get the peace talks off the ground. Each time the attempt has been frustrated by the intelligence agencies of other countries.
Changed stance
Islamabad has also come around to the view that the Taleban can disturb peace and stability in the country. Afghan security experts are optimistic about the changes in the position of political parties and people in Pakistan.
Haji Sayed Dawood, an expert, says, “If there is security in Pakistan, security would be assured in Afghanistan as well and if there is security in Afghanistan there would be security in the region.”
Recently members of the opposition in Pakistan called on the government to cut its relations with rebel insurgents inside Afghanistan. Farhatullah Babur, a senator, who was a spokesperson for former president Asif Ali Zardari, said Pakistan should have friendly relations with its neighbors and with other countries, and should not meddle in the affairs of other countries.
President Hamid Karzai who believes peace in Afghanistan depends on the US and Pakistan has insisted on “real support” from the US for the peace process as a precondition to signing the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA). Meanwhile, Pakistan has always rejected any allegations of interference in the affairs of Afghanistan, and claimed Pakistan is a victim of terrorism.
At a dead-end
Every important Taleban leader who the Afghan government has approached to open negotiations for talks has been sidelined. Mawlawi Wakil Ahmad Motawakel, the minister of foreign affairs under the Taleban government, is a good example. He was repeatedly approached by the government but failed to achieve anything.
Also when Mullah Zayeef wanted to step in to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan, none of his decisions were accepted by the Taleban, and soon Zayeef’s influence was on the wane.
A few months ago Mullah Berader was freed from a Pakistani jail as a gesture of goodwill by Islamabad to assist Kabul’s attempt to break the ice with the Taleban. But Berader vanished into thin air on his release.
The latest is Mullah Agha Jan Moatasem. The Taleban has strenuously denied he is their representative but Afghan government officials are hopeful of success.
Ahmad Shekib Mostaghni, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign affairs described Moatasem as assistant to Mullah Omar and insisted his role was very effective in the peace process. He claimed “the assistant of Mullah Omar faced problems in Dubai that were solved due to efforts of Afghan government.”
Moatasem was once minister of finance during the Taleban government and after its fall became in charge of the political section of the Taleban leadership. He was targeted in 2011 in Karachi city and was injured. He was then treated in Turkey and lived there for a long time before moving to Dubai.
Amrullah Saleh, the former head of intelligence in the Afghan government, had written on his Facebook page only two days prior to Moatasem’s arrest in UAE that he had started talks with Afghan government. Saleh believes that Moatasem had started these talks without informing the Pakistani intelligence. Saleh says that Moatasem was not aware of the strained relations between Pakistani intelligence and Gulf countries otherwise he would not have chosen Dubai as his residence.
There is unconfirmed news about Moatasem’s arrival in Kabul recently. High Peace Council member Mawlawi Qalamudin told Radio Azadi the Afghan government is trying to shift Moatasem either to Kabul or Turkmenistan. “Moatasem can have an important role in peace process due to his relations with Taleban. It is strongly speculated that he might have been arrested in Dubai to prevent his activities.” Qalamudin believes that Afghanistan is a better place to hold peace talks. He says intelligence agencies of other countries cannot sabotage the peace process here.
