The very fact that such type of talks have started within Pakistan and that Taliban and Afghan government is attending the talks is a diplomatic victory for Raheel and Nawaz and for people working under him . The fact that China and USA observers are attending as well gives it weight . The ommission of Iran , Russian, Indian and GCC and Saudi as observers means that even if headway is made there is no guarantee that peace will come in Afghanistan . Hikmatyar has shown his anger on Pakistan and Taliban as well as Afghan government by supporting ISIS . Of course there cannot be an ISIS in Afghanistan where every man is armed and self controlled and is an ISIS by himself , however when someone like Hikmatyar talks about ISIS on one hand there is a jibe at Mullah Omar and as there is another Caliph there known as Baghdadi. Plus there is clear announcement at he is not on board with anyone .
Now if this meeting has come at the cost of not siding with Arabs on yemen issue by USA or is facilitated by wrong statements of Modi about Indian record of aggression now confessed at e UN or by desire of USA to withdraw from Afghanistan or even to scuttle by USA of any direct dealings between three parties , i.e Taliban,Afghan leaders and Pakistan is just a though and guess game .
Whatever the talks are wellcome and Raheel be congratulated along with Nawaz provided they also accept when nothing will come out of it later as all funders of Afghan conflict are not all there in the talks .Like India,Iran,Russia , Saudia , France .
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First round of Afghan govt, Taliban dialogue concludes in Murree
ISLAMABAD: The first round of talks brokered by Pakistan between representatives of the Afghan government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) concluded Wednesday in Murree, with both parties agreeing to meet again.
"As part of the commitment to facilitate an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process, Pakistan is hosting a meeting today between the representatives of the Afghan government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan," FO spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said in a short statement early Wednesday.
"The representatives from United States and China are attending as observers," Qazi said earlier.
During the talks, both sides presented their stances on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and how progress could be made.
The FO spokesman said the participants exchanged views on ways and means to bring peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Both major parties agreed that for lasting peace in the region, each side would approach the process with sincerity and full commitment.
The spokesman said participants recognised the need to undertake confidence building measures in order to engender trust among all stakeholders.
The participants were duly mandated by their respective leadership and expressed their collective desire to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region, and agreed to continue talks to create an environment conducive to the peace and reconciliation process.
The spokesman said the government of Pakistan expressed its profound thanks to the Afghan government and the TTA for their willingness to work towards bringing lasting peace in Afghanistan.
"We also thank other partners in peace, including the United Nations, for their contribution to peace, stability and the development of Afghanistan," Qazi said.
The next meeting will be held at a mutually convenient date after Ramazan.
Officials on Tuesday said the Afghan delegation had travelled to Islamabad in the latest bid to start peace talks with the Taliban. There was no confirmation earlier, however, that the militants would take part.
“A delegation from the High Peace Council of Afghanistan has traveled to Pakistan for negotiations with the Taliban,” read a statement posted on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's official Twitter account.
The High Peace Council (HPC) is the body tasked with opening negotiations with the militants.
Sayed Zafar Hashemi, Ghani's deputy spokesman, confirmed the announcement and said the delegation was being led by deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai.
Hashemi gave no details of the expected length of talks, subjects to be discussed or Taliban participation.
In recent months there have been several informal meetings between the Taliban and Afghan officials from varied political backgrounds at venues outside Afghanistan, but little concrete progress appears to have been made.
Official efforts to reopen peace negotiations with the Taliban have so far borne little fruit, but informal talks have taken place in the recent past behind a veil of secrecy.
The Taliban last month admitted taking part in informal talks in Norway with an Afghan delegation, reportedly made up of women.
And at another round of informal meetings in Qatar in May, activists said Taliban delegates, long condemned for their misogynistic ideology and lack of respect for human rights, pledged support for women's education and their right to work in “male-dominated professions”.
The Taliban have laid down hardline preconditions for taking part in full-blown negotiations, stressing the need for the complete departure of foreign troops from Afghan soil.
The Taliban's annual offensive is in full swing, with two bomb attacks in Kabul on Tuesday, even as tentative efforts are being made to negotiate an end to their 13-year insurgency.
Nato ended its combat mission against the militants at the end of December but a smaller force has stayed on for training and counter-terrorism operations.
US welcomes peace talks
The United States welcomes talks between the Afghan government and Taliban, the White House said on Tuesday after Afghanistan announced it had sent a peace delegation to Pakistan for talks.
“This is an important step toward advancing prospects for a credible peace,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
The meeting could be a step towards starting a formal peace process with the insurgent group, which was ousted from power by a US-led invasion in 2001.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1192941/first-round-of-afghan-govt-taliban-dialogue-concludes-in-murree
Now if this meeting has come at the cost of not siding with Arabs on yemen issue by USA or is facilitated by wrong statements of Modi about Indian record of aggression now confessed at e UN or by desire of USA to withdraw from Afghanistan or even to scuttle by USA of any direct dealings between three parties , i.e Taliban,Afghan leaders and Pakistan is just a though and guess game .
Whatever the talks are wellcome and Raheel be congratulated along with Nawaz provided they also accept when nothing will come out of it later as all funders of Afghan conflict are not all there in the talks .Like India,Iran,Russia , Saudia , France .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First round of Afghan govt, Taliban dialogue concludes in Murree
ISLAMABAD: The first round of talks brokered by Pakistan between representatives of the Afghan government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) concluded Wednesday in Murree, with both parties agreeing to meet again.
"As part of the commitment to facilitate an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process, Pakistan is hosting a meeting today between the representatives of the Afghan government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan," FO spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said in a short statement early Wednesday.
"The representatives from United States and China are attending as observers," Qazi said earlier.
During the talks, both sides presented their stances on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and how progress could be made.
The FO spokesman said the participants exchanged views on ways and means to bring peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Both major parties agreed that for lasting peace in the region, each side would approach the process with sincerity and full commitment.
The spokesman said participants recognised the need to undertake confidence building measures in order to engender trust among all stakeholders.
The participants were duly mandated by their respective leadership and expressed their collective desire to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region, and agreed to continue talks to create an environment conducive to the peace and reconciliation process.
The spokesman said the government of Pakistan expressed its profound thanks to the Afghan government and the TTA for their willingness to work towards bringing lasting peace in Afghanistan.
"We also thank other partners in peace, including the United Nations, for their contribution to peace, stability and the development of Afghanistan," Qazi said.
The next meeting will be held at a mutually convenient date after Ramazan.
Officials on Tuesday said the Afghan delegation had travelled to Islamabad in the latest bid to start peace talks with the Taliban. There was no confirmation earlier, however, that the militants would take part.
“A delegation from the High Peace Council of Afghanistan has traveled to Pakistan for negotiations with the Taliban,” read a statement posted on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's official Twitter account.
The High Peace Council (HPC) is the body tasked with opening negotiations with the militants.
Sayed Zafar Hashemi, Ghani's deputy spokesman, confirmed the announcement and said the delegation was being led by deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai.
Hashemi gave no details of the expected length of talks, subjects to be discussed or Taliban participation.
In recent months there have been several informal meetings between the Taliban and Afghan officials from varied political backgrounds at venues outside Afghanistan, but little concrete progress appears to have been made.
Official efforts to reopen peace negotiations with the Taliban have so far borne little fruit, but informal talks have taken place in the recent past behind a veil of secrecy.
The Taliban last month admitted taking part in informal talks in Norway with an Afghan delegation, reportedly made up of women.
And at another round of informal meetings in Qatar in May, activists said Taliban delegates, long condemned for their misogynistic ideology and lack of respect for human rights, pledged support for women's education and their right to work in “male-dominated professions”.
The Taliban have laid down hardline preconditions for taking part in full-blown negotiations, stressing the need for the complete departure of foreign troops from Afghan soil.
The Taliban's annual offensive is in full swing, with two bomb attacks in Kabul on Tuesday, even as tentative efforts are being made to negotiate an end to their 13-year insurgency.
Nato ended its combat mission against the militants at the end of December but a smaller force has stayed on for training and counter-terrorism operations.
US welcomes peace talks
The United States welcomes talks between the Afghan government and Taliban, the White House said on Tuesday after Afghanistan announced it had sent a peace delegation to Pakistan for talks.
“This is an important step toward advancing prospects for a credible peace,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
The meeting could be a step towards starting a formal peace process with the insurgent group, which was ousted from power by a US-led invasion in 2001.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1192941/first-round-of-afghan-govt-taliban-dialogue-concludes-in-murree
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