Chairman Hizb-e-Wahadat Islami Afghanistan, former Chairman Afghan High Peace Council Mohammad Karim Khalili along with a delegation paid an official visit of Pakistan from 11-13 January 2021. During his visit, he met with leadership of Pakistan including Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The visit of Ustad Karim Khalili was a part of Pakistan’s policy to reach out to Afghan Political leadership to forge common understanding on the Afghan Peace process. Earlier to Ustad Karim Khalili, a delegation of Afghan Taliban led by Mullah Brother and Chairman Afghanistan High Peace Council Dr. Abdullah Abdullah visited Pakistan to discuss Afghan Peace Process. Government and all Stakeholders of Pakistan assured the Afghan Political leadership about Pakistan utmost desire of pace and stability in Afghanistan. Pakistan had supported and continuously supporting the Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process. Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan categorically told the Afghan leadership that after Afghan, Pakistan is the topmost country who desire peace and stability in Afghanistan. Because, it benefited more to Pakistan after the Afghan themselves. The Prime Minister emphasized the Afghan leaders to work together for a peaceful solution and particularly underscored the importance of reduction of violence leading to ceasefire. He further underscored that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan would open up new landscapes of cooperation in trade and regional connectivity. The intra-Afghan peace negotiations have resumed between the Afghan Government team and Taliban negotiators on January 5 in Doha, Qatar. Presently, both sides have widely different priorities as Government team insisting for a cease fire in the country while Taliban want to go for the future political system of the country than move to rest of the affairs. The Taliban wants that there should be an interim government in the Country for few months, and next political system should be Islamic government. The nature and scope of the Islamic system can negotiate and agreed upon by the two sides. But, at present issue arise when President Ashraf Ghani opposed the formation of Interim government in the Country and stated “you all vote for me, and my duty is to transfer the power to the successor of the government in a legal way.” What does it means, whether the decision agreed upon by the selected negotiators of the country will not be legal, or Ghani want to complete is five years term in Presidential Palace up to 2024. On other hand, Taliban termed Ghani comments as his clinging to power. According to Taliban, Ghani’s insistence on clinging to power could obstruct the way to a ‘negotiated and peaceful solution’ to the Afghan war. The question arises that if President Ashraf Ghani do not step down from Presidency, whether Taliban will compromise on it. Most likely answer lies in “No”, because Taliban looks Ghani as American’s representative and will not accept him in his seat.
However, Taliban may accept him in any role in the interim government. On other hand, there are many Hawks in the Afghan government, who are ready to pull back any time from the running negotiations in the name of national integrity. Former NDS Chief Amrullah Saleh, NSA Hamidullah Mohib and many others remained critical to the Afghanistan Reconciliation Process since from its inception. In fact, if negotiations succeeded then formation of the new setup is eminent. Which will cost the present position of President Ashraf Ghani and many other Afghan leaders. We hope that every other Afghan is ready to play his role for the peace and stability in the Country. Afghan leadership is to demonstrate courage, patience and tolerance, if they want to see the dawn of peace, prosperity and harmony in their Country.
