ISLAMABAD: Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz has said that Pakistan can host another round of Afghan reconciliation dialogue, if Kabul wants it to do so.

“We can host the second round only if Afghanistan wants us to facilitate,” Mr Aziz said while briefing Senate on key foreign policy issues on Thursday. “We can only facilitate, it has to be an Afghan initiative.”

Mr Aziz had during his visit to Kabul earlier this month for attending Regional Economic Conference on Afghanistan offered the Afghan leadership on the sidelines of the conference to help restart the process that got disrupted after it became public that Taliban chief Mullah Omar was dead.

Know more: Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to end ‘blame game’: Sartaj Aziz

Pakistan hosted the first round of the talks between the Afghan government and Taliban on July 7 and was set to hold the second round on July 31 when the news about Mullah Omar’s death became public. The disclosure forced the cancellation of the planned second round. But the subsequent uptick in Taliban violence in Afghanistan and succession dispute within the Taliban pushed the reconciliation effort into zone of uncertainty. With the leadership issue now settled, it is likely that Taliban’s position on resumption of dialogue would become clear.

The adviser said that Pakistan was still waiting for the Afghan government’s response to its offer for facilitation.

During his meeting with Mr Aziz in Kabul, President Ashraf Ghani had promised to respond to the offer for facilitating the resumption of the process after consulting his government allies and other political leaders.

Mr Aziz said there were differences in Kabul over the reconciliation process. “Some support the dialogue while others oppose it,” he observed.

The Afghan government has looked supportive of the reconciliation process, but the disagreement, it looks, is on the Pakistan’s role.

The adviser’s assessment contrasted the US reading of the situation.

Acting US Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Jarrett Blanc had after the conclusion of his visit to Kabul and Islamabad earlier this week said that it was for the Taliban to decide whether or not they wanted to return to dialogue. The other stakeholders, Mr Blanc had then said, were ready for the negotiations.

FO BRIEFING: Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah at the Foreign Office briefing avoided comments on reports about the end of succession dispute in Taliban after Mullah Omar’s brother and son pledged allegiance to new leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

However, he expressed the hope that Afghan Taliban would end violence and join intra-Afghan dialogue for peace in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan will facilitate the dialogue, as before,” he said.

UNGA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Mr Khalilullah said, would address the UN General Assembly on Sept 30.

“The visit programme and speech of the prime minister are being finalised,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2015

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