 The Taliban are a part of Afghan society and those among them who are not committed to endless violence must be brought into the political mainstream, President Gen Pervez Musharraf said in an address to the concluding session of the Pak-Afghan Peace Jirga on Sunday, APP reports. "We must understand the environment. Taliban are a part of Afghan society. Most of them may be ignorant and misguided, but all of them are not diehard militants and fanatics who even defy the most fundamental values of our culture and our faith Islam," Gen Musharraf said.
| Some of them are just opium growers, or opium refiners, or drug peddlers, or drug financiers. Some of them just run guns. Some of them just thump women and measure the length of mens' beards. That doesn't make them diehards at all, does it. |
He said that military action was necessary against Al Qaeda militants and Taliban diehards who refused to reconcile, but a more comprehensive political and development approach was needed to defeat extremism and 'Talibanisation'. "Talibanisation and extremism ... represent a state of mind and require a more comprehensive long-term strategy where military action must be combined with a political approach and socio-economic development," he said.
| As in, kill the diehards, and the drug dealers, and the women-thumpers, and ... |
More importantly, he said, the population that appears to be sympathetic to the Taliban is not militant. "Our approach must be focussed on isolating those diehard militants who reject reconciliation and peace. Here, it is a question of winning hearts and minds," he said.
He said the success of the Afghan jirga delegates in achieving peace in their country would "depend on political engagement and understanding in reaching out to the people".
| Gotta understand the women-thumpers, won't have no peace til you do ... |
Iqbal Khattak adds: Shortly before Gen Musharraf's speech, jirga delegates were handed copies of a joint declaration in which both Afghanistan and Pakistan vowed to pursue "an extended, tireless and persistent campaign against terrorism" and not to allow terrorists sanctuaries or training centres on their soil. Calling the declaration a "stepping stone" towards peace, Gen Musharraf told the jirga: "Along with Afghanistan, Pakistan has also witnessed the rise of militancy and violence attacking our society. We cannot remain mired in the past."
| That's sort of where the ISI wanted both the Afghans and the Paks, isn't it? |
He conceded that there was support from the Pakistani tribal areas for the insurgency in Afghanistan and extremism. Pakistan understood it had a "solemn responsibility" to fight against such influences, he said.
| Not a word about the ISI, however. |
The declaration said the jirga resolved to constitute a smaller jirga of 25 members from each side to "monitor and oversee the implementation of the decisions/recommendations" made at the joint Pak-Afghan jirga. Delegates also approved of dialogue and reconciliation with "opposition", an indirect reference to the Taliban and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
| Just toss Hek a grenade, no way he can toss it back at ya ... |
Talking to reporters on his return to Islamabad, Gen Musharraf termed the joint declaration and formation of the 50-member jirga "a good beginning" for a peace process. Gen Musharraf and Mr Karzai discussed cooperation against terrorism and the outcome of the jirga in one-on-one meetings before and after the conclusion of the jirga.
Over 600 delegates attended the Pak-Afghan grand jirga from both countries. The participants discussed means to strengthen bilateral relations. They also considered working out an effective mechanism to arrest the increase in poppy cultivation, processing and trafficking and underlying connection between terrorism and drug trafficking in the region. The initiative to hold a joint peace jirga was undertaken after a suggestion in Washington when President Musharraf and President Karzai resolved to settle contentious issues between the two countries by arranging a jirga of elders from both sides. |