Pakistan angers Afghans by suggesting Taliban share power - minister

[iranigirl2]

Pakistan has floated the concept of an Afghan power-sharing arrangement between Kabul and the Taliban as part of a peace talks "end game", Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Ershad Ahmadi said on Monday, a suggestion met with outrage in Kabul.

The idea was raised in a Friday meeting between Pakistani national security adviser Sartaj Aziz and Afghan ambassador Umer Daudzai, Ahmadi told Reuters. It involved a form of federalism and ceding power in some Afghan provinces to the Taliban.

The suggestion dashed hopes of a reset in the relationship between the South Asian neighbors following the election of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last month.

It also suggests a visit by British Prime David Cameron to the region at the weekend to promote the Afghan-Pakistan relationship as well as peace talks with the Taliban had failed before he had even arrived.

"We believe this federalism is a means for the Pakistanis to achieve what they could not achieve through their proxy (the Taliban) on the battlefield," Ahmadi said.

Pakistan has a considerable influence over the Afghan Taliban leadership, based in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta.

It is seen as crucial to U.S. and Afghan efforts to promote peace in Afghanistan, a task that is gaining urgency as NATO troops prepare to withdraw from the country by the end of 2014.

Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of playing a double game regarding the 12-year-old war, saying its neighbor, facing a Taliban insurgency of its own, makes public pronouncements about peace, but allows elements of its military to play a spoiling role.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai also voiced his concern about Pakistan's motive in the peace process during a Saturday news conference with Cameron, saying that "delivering a province or two to the Taliban" would be perceived as an invasion by the Afghan people.

Pakistan was not immediately able to comment on what was said by Aziz or its view of Ahmadi's assertions.

"GRAND DESIGN"

Ahmadi also said the ceremonial opening of the Taliban office in the Gulf state of Qatar's capital, Doha, which raised angry protests in Kabul that the office had the appearance of a government-in-exile, was part of a Pakistani plan designed to increase the insurgents' international prestige.

"There are elements within the Pakistani government who have a grand design of using the peace process as a means to undermine the Afghan state and establish little fiefdoms around the country in which the Taliban - its most important strategic asset in Afghanistan - play an influential role," he said.

Before Afghanistan suspended talks in Doha, U.S. officials had said they would have stuck to an insistence that the Taliban break ties with al Qaeda, end violence and accept the Afghan constitution, including protection for women and minorities.

During their 1996-2001 reign, the Taliban banned women from education, voting and most work, and they were not allowed to leave their homes without permission and a male escort.

Ahmadi said despite hopes the new Sharif administration may curb meddling in Afghan affairs, Kabul now felt the civilian administration was aiding the double game played by the military and the country's powerful intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

"While we believe there are elements of the military and the ISI who endeavor to weaken the Afghan state, their narrative seems to be getting some kind of buy-in from other state institutions and that's a major concern," he said.

In particular, the ISI had played a significant role in the events in Doha, Ahmadi said. Part of the reason Kabul was so outraged by the opening of the Taliban office was the use of symbols, including the Taliban flag, that had not been approved as part of the peace deal.

Soon after that flag was taken down, some or all of the Taliban delegates held a meeting with ISI officers in Doha, Ahmadi said.

"We do monitor these things and we know there have been regular interactions," Ahmadi said.


Exclusive: Pakistan angers Afghans by suggesting Taliban share power - minister | Reuters

 

[Umair Nawaz]

Its not just Afghanistan but Pakistan also had voiced concerns of Afghan Double Game as they r the ones protecting Mulla Radio n Co in Afghanistan.

 

[airmarshal]

Taliban have proved over the decade they are no one's proxy. They are a reality. Its okay for Afghan government to keep its eyes closed but Taliban will not disappear as they might wish.

Taliban are Afghans. They will live and die there. Its better to integrate them than confront them. Even US, which has so much resources at its disposal to fight such a long war, is also willing to talk to them.

 

[A.Rafay]

Karzai is an Indian puppet, his anger doesn't mean anything to us.

 

[Hyperion]

Oh poor Karzai and Northern Alliance, bunch of sissy cun*s...

 

[illusion8]

Taliban have proved over the decade they are no one's proxy. They are a reality. Its okay for Afghan government to keep its eyes closed but Taliban will not disappear as they might wish.

Taliban are Afghans. They will live and die there. Its better to integrate them than confront them. Even US, which has so much resources at its disposal to fight such a long war, is also willing to talk to them.

Before integrating them, Afghans have a right to know what the Taliban stands for and what is their ideologies, goals and what they intend to do once they are in Government. If it doesn't match up to what the Afghan population want then I think they should resist it.

 

[Imran Khan]

tell to afghans go do whatever or hit your head with nearest wall . WE DON'T GIVE A SH1T

 

[airmarshal]

Before integrating them, Afghans have a right to know what the Taliban stands for and what is their ideologies, goals and what they intend to do once they are in Government. If it doesn't match up to what the Afghan population want then I think they should resist it.

Haven't they already shown what they stand for?

Its important to realise there will be no end to conflict if Taliban are not integrated in government and society. We may or may not like it but a war for a over a decade has not shown the way out. At the end of it, all important players have started to realize that Taliban should have been talked to and integrated.

War is no solution in Afghanistan. Negotiation is. It might be hard to swallow too, but just a stalemate in Afghanistan is actually a victory for Taliban.

 

[Jungibaaz]

Truth hurts.
And it may well offend.

Taliban wont be going anywhere, but Karzai's main source of comfort will be gone in the next few years.

 

[Jungibaaz]

Before integrating them, Afghans have a right to know what the Taliban stands for and what is their ideologies, goals and what they intend to do once they are in Government. If it doesn't match up to what the Afghan population want then I think they should resist it.

It's not as simple as that. If you want to make it that simple, then yes, it seems taliban are the only bad guys and deserve to kept out of government.

During the civil war, both the Northern alliance and the taliban fought amongst themselves.
Both committed heinous atrocities, it was very much an ethnic war.

The NA pretty much hijacked all the political process in Kabul post-2001, thanks to the fact that US made them equal partners and allies. The NA dissolved into political parties, parliamentarians and ministers. Drug lords and war lords began to run the country. Now which is worse? Religious extremists running the country or corrupt criminal extremists? None are fit to claim Kabul.

The current government is not the result of a valid democratic process, it was one imposed on a lot of Afghans, now those Northern alliance and anti-taliban drug/war lords are a political mafia. Propped up by who a lot of people regard as the invader.
The taliban and supporters are completely cut off from all the political processes, and they wont come to the negotiating table with Karzai because of a bitter history and the fact that Karzai's puppet masters are the real players.

 

[illusion8]

Haven't they already shown what they stand for?

Its important to realise there will be no end to conflict if Taliban are not integrated in government and society. We may or may not like it but a war for a over a decade has not shown the way out. At the end of it, all important players have started to realize that Taliban should have been talked to and integrated.

War is no solution in Afghanistan. Negotiation is. It might be hard to swallow too, but just a stalemate in Afghanistan is actually a victory for Taliban.

What I am saying is the Taliban should have a political statement so that people know what they are standing for. This will give us a perspective as to their intentions to come to power. If you know what they stand for then please let me know too.

 

[iranigirl2]

What I am saying is the Taliban should have a political statement so that people know what they are standing for. This will give us a perspective as to their intentions to come to power. If you know what they stand for then please let me know too.

Taliban stands for Terror. They only people that support them in Afghanistan are minority within the Pashtun population, but they are a minority in Afghanistan.

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

not surprising , after all Pakistan was the first country to recognise the taliban govt in afghan.

 

[illusion8]

It's not as simple as that. If you want to make it that simple, then yes, it seems taliban are the only bad guys and deserve to kept out of government.

During the civil war, both the Northern alliance and the taliban fought amongst themselves.
Both committed heinous atrocities, it was very much an ethnic war.

The NA pretty much hijacked all the political process in Kabul post-2001, thanks to the fact that US made them equal partners and allies. The NA dissolved into political parties, parliamentarians and ministers. Drug lords and war lords began to run the country. Now which is worse? Religious extremists running the country or corrupt criminal extremists? None are fit to claim Kabul.

The current government is not the result of a valid democratic process, it was one imposed on a lot of Afghans, now those Northern alliance and anti-taliban drug/war lords are a political mafia. Propped up by who a lot of people regard as the invader.
The taliban and supporters are completely cut off from all the political processes, and they wont come to the negotiating table with Karzai because of a bitter history and the fact that Karzai's puppet masters are the real players.

The Taliban did not bring in a people's rule or a democratic setup when they overthrew the NA, Do you think the Afghans were left with any choices by the Taliban? if it's the kind of rule they imposed on the Afghans after taking over Afghanistan is what they intend to do again then I don't think they'll receive any support.

The current Government all said and done has been through a democratic process and through elections - you might call it whatever you want but the people have a voice and the world communicates with this Government that's in Afghanistan.

Taliban stands for Terror. They only people that support them in Afghanistan are minority within the Pashtun population, but they are a minority in Afghanistan.

They gave us a sample of what they stand for and what they do to the Afghans when they took power and it wasn't pretty.

 

[GURU DUTT]

looks like pakistan dint learn any lessons from the past and are still hoping for a piggy back ride to the power corridoars of kabul thru taliban but i guess this time around they are for a big surprize dont worry pakistan shaal reap the benfits of thre love for taliban very soon ...Good luck