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| Afghanistan |
| No hope Pakistan will help with peace talks ‘They lied to us’: Hanif Atmar |
| 2016-09-06 |
| [Khaama (Afghanistan)] The National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Mohammad Hanif Atmar has said there is no hope Pakistain will help Afghanistan with the peace talks with the Taliban group. During an interview with Gandhara/RFERL, Atmar said "We have received messages from Pakistain as we have diplomatic relations. Our president has told them we have no hope that they will help us with peace talks.Ø› Atmar further added "He told Pakistain that they promised they would go against those who do not want peace talks, but Pakistain did not do this. They lied to us." Questioning Pakistain’s honesty in fight against terrorism, Atmar said "Islamabad said the Taliban leader was not in Pakistain, but then we saw Mullah Mansur had a Pak ID card when he was killed while traveling inside Pakistain.Ø› "We asked them very clearly: "Why are you lying? This [grinding of the peace processor] would not be in your favor. Terrorism will backfire against you, and it already has." My hope is that Pakistain thinks logically and pays attention to this issue," Atmar added. The Afghan government was expecting to participate in direct peace talks with the Taliban group soon after the Quadrilateral Coordination Group comprising of Afghanistan, Pakistain, United States and China started work. Several rounds of QCG talks were held and the participating members had agreed to take actions against the groups pursuing violence but the Taliban group rejected the calls by the QCG and Afghan government to participate in direct talks. The group announced its spring offensive in mid-April and staged numerous deadly attacks with the support of the Haqqani terrorist network based in Pakistain, forcing the Afghan government to withdraw from the talks and opt strict military actions against the group. The Afghan officials have long been criticizing Pakistain for allowing the Taliban group and Haqqani terrorist network leaderships to use its soil for planning and coordinating attacks in Afghanistan. However, it was a brave man who first ate an oyster... Pakistain has opposed to opt a military option to resolve the issue despite admitting that the leaders of the Taliban group are based in the country and Islamabad could use certain leverages to force the group to participate in peace talks, including the pressure the country could build on the group on certain facilities it uses such as health facilities. |
| Posted by:Fred |