ISLAMABAD - The two-day core group meeting of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States (US) concluded Friday with an agreement on establishing a sub-group to explore ways to arrange safe passage for Afghan Taliban wishing to engage in peace and reconciliation process.
Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, US Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin announced the decision at a joint press conference.
They said the trilateral meeting discussed a host of issues including Afghan refugees, economic development, proposed TAPI gas pipeline project and drug trafficking.
They said the meeting also agreed to form sub-group to coordinate the process of delisting names of Taliban leaders from the UN sanctions list.
The group comprising the representatives from the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan at the UN headquarters will coordinate activities related to peace and reconciliation process on Afghanistan.
Afghan representative Ludin hailed the outcome, saying: “We need to bring those in the process who are willing to integrate in peaceful life in Afghanistan.”
“We need to find them, encourage them and provide safe passage to them,” he said.
Jalil Abbas Jilani said Pakistan was committed to Afghan-owned and Afghan-led solution and reconciliation process. “Peace and stability in Afghanistan is the core national objective of Pakistan.”
Answering a question, Afghan deputy foreign minister said the very comprehensive agenda of the meeting showed the depth of cooperation and closeness among the three countries.
“We must be able to confront terrorists militarily and to target their haven from where they attack inside Afghanistan and in Pakistan. And we also be able make the political process for peace a success as well,” he added.
“We recognise that we have important steps ahead to bring peace to Afghanistan. The attack in Kabul shows that we have challenges. To take the process forward we need expert people to discuss details,” Ludin said.
Grossman said they were concerned with the necessary outcome of the reconciliation process which included that Taliban and other insurgent groups must break ties with Al-Qaeda, renounce violence, and ensure women protection as well as that of minorities and respect the Afghan constitution.
Ludin added, “We don’t have contacts with the Taliban and other groups so we would need facilitation in contacting them.”
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari emphasised the need for evolving a mechanism for counter-terrorism cooperation between Pakistan and United States through bridging the trust-deficit. “Bridging the trust-deficit holds the key to Pakistan re-joining the counter-terrorism cooperation,” Zardari said during a meeting with Grossman at the Presidency.
He said it was now the US turn to fully appreciate the democratic course and to help Pakistan reach closure on Salala by helping the Pakistan government following the path as indicated by the Parliament.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar, the president pointed to many important areas where there was convergence of mutual interests. He said most notable among those were the goals of stability and peace in Afghanistan and the complete defeat of Al-Qaeda. The president said Pakistan had always maintained that drone attacks were highly counter-productive, the strategy inflamed public sentiments because of civilian casualties. He said both the sides should consider setting up a framework of mechanism to find mutually acceptable alternatives.
The president said Pakistan was committed to providing assistance to the international presence in Afghanistan. However, the international community should share the financial and economic cost of services and goods involved in the process. He demanded early resolution of the issue of reimbursement of CSF arrears, saying it was a sticking point in the relationship which needed to be addressed urgently.
Grossman also called on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who emphasised the need of building mutual partnership to achieve shared objective of bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan which, in turn, would strengthen peace and stability in the region.
The prime minister said the Pakistan had the commitment and resolve to confront the forces of terrorism and extremism with the support of the public, as he sensitised the US delegation about enhancing national capacity to meet the challenge.
Gilani also recalled his meeting with US President Obama on the side-lines of Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, where they had agreed to streamline the relations between the two countries to achieve the common goals. Grossman said the partnership with Pakistan was important to establish peace and security in the region.
He further said there was a dire need to improve perception about each other through public diplomacy, adding that the US greatly valued democratic Pakistan led by elected leadership.