Sartaj Aziz (right), foreign affairs adviser to the Pakistan PM, speaks to Chinese special representative for Afghanistan Deng Xijun (left) prior to the start of the first-ever round of four-way peace talks meeting in Islamabad on Monday. — AFP
Sartaj Aziz (right), foreign affairs adviser to the Pakistan PM, speaks to Chinese special representative for Afghanistan Deng Xijun (left) prior to the start of the first-ever round of four-way peace talks meeting in Islamabad on Monday. — AFP
Pakistan on Monday reiterated its commitment to support Afghan peace efforts as a quadrilateral meeting involving Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US aimed at reviving dialogue between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban began in Islamabad.
Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on foreign affairs, said the country wanted peace in Afghanistan for regional stability.
“I want to reaffirm that Pakistan values its brotherly and neighbourly relations with Afghanistan and is firmly committed to continuing serious efforts for long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he said while addressing first meeting of the Quadrilateral Contact Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States on Afghan reconciliation process.
Mr Aziz also said that no precondition should be attached for talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
“It is important that no preconditions are attached to the reconciliation process, as it will create difficulties in bringing Taliban to the negotiating table,” said Mr Aziz.
“The primary objective of the reconciliation process is to create conditions to bring the Taliban groups to the negotiation table and offer them incentives that can persuade them to move away from using violence,” said Mr Aziz.
Afghan deputy foreign minister Hekmat Karzai and Pakistani foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry were joined by Richard Olson, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and General Anthony Rock, the top US defence representative in Pakistan, as well as China’s special envoy on Afghanistan affairs, Deng Xijun. Decision about the quadrilateral coordination committee to push the peace process in Afghanistan was taken during a meeting of the four countries on the occasion of the Heart of Asia Conference held in Islamabad on December 9.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were present in that meeting, which was also attended by senior officials of China and US.
Mr Aziz pointed out that the fifth ministerial conference of the Heart of Asia in Islamabad last month provided impetus to the quest for lasting peace in Afghanistan.
He expressed confidence the meeting will be able to evolve an efficient procedural framework to provide the basis for smooth functioning of the group.
Analysts hope the added presence of China and the US may help overcome mistrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
