Daily Times

American peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has pressed Pakistan to condemn the Taliban’s spring offensive, terming the Taliban’s announcement as “reckless.” Taliban on Friday launched the offensive that marks beginning of the fighting season at a time when the US and the Afghan insurgents are involved in peace negotiations.

Taliban spokesman said “Al-Fath Jihadi Operations” were started as the foreign “occupying forces continue exercising military and political influence in our Islamic country” and that the government has already announcing Khalid military operations against them. Reports from Afghanistan suggest that Taliban have stepped up attacks after the start of offensive. Taliban insurgents and the Afghan security forces were involved in fierce fighting in the outskirts of strategic northern city of Kunduz on Saturday.

Khalilzad, who is likely to hold another round of talks with the Taliban in Qatar, angrily rejected the Taliban decision as “irresponsible.” “Through this announcement, Taliban leaders demonstrate their indifference to the demands of Afghans across the country. The call for more fighting will not advance peace efforts. If executed, it will only yield more suffering and thousands more causalities,” he tweeted. “On behalf of the United States, I condemn this announcement of a spring offensive, and call on Pakistan, Qatar, and other nations that want peace in Afghanistan to do the same,” Khalilzad said.

In an apparent response to the US envoy’s demand, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan believes that peaceful and negotiated settlement is only way forward in Afghanistan. “There is no military solution, all parties should fully commit to peace process. We have therefore strongly supported all efforts for peace, with participation of all Afghans,” Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal quoted the foreign minister as saying.

Khalilzad said the US and its international partners will stand with Afghan security forces to continue their effort to end the war in Afghanistan, at the same time as “we seek to bring parties to the table to negotiate peace,” he tweeted.

The top military commander of American forces in Afghanistan Scott Miller also condemned the Taliban’s announcement. On their part Taliban reminded Khalilzad and Gen Miller that the war has been “imposed” upon Afghans by the US. “We condemn remarks by Khalilzad and Miller, turn their attention to answering for their own actions and consider their remarks regarding the ongoing Jihadi operations as inappropriate,” a Taliban statement on Saturday. The statement, however, said Taliban are committed to the ongoing negotiations process and a peaceful resolution but “cannot remain indifferent to the military operations and ongoing crimes of the invaders and their internal supporters.”

Afghan government again failed on Saturday to finalize names for the intra-Afghan talks scheduled to be held in Qatar on April 19-21, Afghan media reported. The talks were earlier planned on April 14-15; but were delayed for five days in view of the differences within a high level forum that was assigned to finalize a list and agenda. President Ghani’s Special Envoy and spokesman of the Council, Umer Daudzai told reporters in Kabul on Saturday said one of the disagreements is the number of delegates who will travel to Qatar, Tolo TV reported. “Everyone wants to have more share and want to have a greater role and it is right. I think such disagreements will not cause us to lose opportunities or cause the Qatar intra-Afghan talks to be canceled. It will happen on its time, we have time,” Daudzai was quoted as saying.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahudin Rabbani, who received Islamabad’s envoy to Kabul Zahid Nasrullah Khan, on Saturday called for reopening of Pakistani airspace for flights between Afghanistan and India. Pakistan had shut airspace for foreign flight in view of the recent tensions with India. Afghan Foreign Ministry said Rabbani while “hinting at” the recent remarks made by Prime Minister Imran Khan, said such statements could “negatively impact relations between the two countries. He expressed Afghanistan’s hope for constructive ties with Pakistan. The two sides discussed and exchanged views on the peace process, consultative “Loya Jirga” and the Qatar talks.