Daily Times

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, on Tuesday asserted that recent developments in Afghanistan have produced prospects for peace and reconciliation between the Afghan government and Taliban militants.

While speaking at the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) quarterly debate on Afghanistan, she considered the ceasefire between security forces and the Taliban as ‘a moment of hope and opportunity’ in Afghanistan.

“A three-day ceasefire between Afghan security forces and the Taliban on Eid festival is an unprecedented pause in a war that has raged for nearly 17 years,” she said while emphasising that the ceasefire demonstrates the control of Taliban’s leadership over the movement while this cohesion could be beneficial to negotiate for a political settlement.

Negotiations, the only viable solution

In her address to the 15-member council, the ambassador also recalled that Pakistan as a sovereign state has consistently advocated negotiations to be the only viable solution of the decades of conflict and bloodthirsty war in Afghanistan.

She further stressed on a political solution and said that the world’s most powerful military forces could not yield ‘a military solution’. “The path to peace and security in Afghanistan could be an arduous journey but achievable, however rival parties should demonstrate a goodwill gesture for conducting a political solution,” she said while considering the moment as a best chance to achieve regional stability and an end to the devastation and suffering of the Afghan people.

Peace ‘achievable’ through dialogue process

“Peace through a dialogue process would be the highest priority for the Afghan government, the Taliban, the Coalition forces, Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries and the International community,” he said while expressing deep concerns over regional instability that poses a global threat.

Importantly, she maintained that ISIS terrorists must be defeated ‘urgently and decisively’ and said that the world should not allow such terror groups to drive Afghanistan into another vortex of violence and regional instability.

Pakistan’s positive role for peace process

Lodhi reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment and support regarding peace process and a political settlement in Afghanistan, and indicated that Pakistan has participated in all regional and international forums on peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan including ‘the Moscow format’.

Furthermore, she signified that Pakistan has extended all possible political assistances as well as ‘robust counterterrorism operations’ for regional security, peace and stability in Afghanistan.

According to Lodhi, the recently concluded Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) would provide a ‘structured platform’ for political, economic and military engagement between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the recent exchange of goodwill gestures has been helpful to create an environment of trust in the bilateral relationship between Islamabad and Kabul.

Published in Daily Times, June 28^th 2018.