Is peace possible? Taliban and Afghan government hold talks in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) -The talks brokered by Pakistan between representatives of the Afghan government and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) concluded Wednesday in Murree.

“The first ever formal talks for peace between the delegation of High Peace Council of Afghanistan and Afghan Taliban group was held in Murree city of Pakistan last night and the second round of talks would be held after Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month”, a statement of the Afghan foreign ministry released here said.

The participants also agreed to continue talks to create an environment conducive for peace and reconciliation process.

The participants recognised the need to develop confidence building measures to engender trust among all stakeholders.

U.S. and Chinese representatives also attended, the ministry said, adding that the next round of talks will be held at a “mutually convenient date” after Ramazan.

Qazi said the government of Pakistan expressed its profound thanks to the Afghan government and the TTA for their willingness to work towards peace in Afghanistan. The militant movement has become notorious for staging attacks against civilian and state targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan, seeking to establish austere Sharia law on the territory under their control.

Just a day after a suicide bomber targeted North Atlantic Treaty Organisation troops in the Afghan capital, the first official peace talks have been held between the Taliban and the government. But it’s far from clear whether the process can end the fighting, given that the Taliban’s leadership is divided on the issue of talks and several commanders have already defected to the rival jihadist Islamic State.

The talks have been described by Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif as a “breakthrough”, adding: “This process has to succeed”.

He said the overtness of the meeting was a positive development. On official from the council said the government representatives include Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai.

The president has sought Pakistan’s help in bringing the Taliban to negotiations, since it is a traditional ally of the group. Still, Islamabad’s hosting of the talks raises suspicion among some Afghan politicians, who believe Pakistan is aiming to wield dominance over their country. Nasrullah Sadieqizada, an Afghan parliament member, called the talks “Pakistani propaganda”.

“This is an important step toward advancing prospects for a credible peace”, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

There have been several informal meetings between the Taliban and Afghan officials at venues outside Afghanistan in recent months, but little in the way of concrete progress.