Daily Times

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad says the United States and the United Kingdom are making efforts for “improving security cooperation” between Pakistan and Afghanistan that could lead to signing of an agreement.

Khalilzad was speaking to German largest website DER SPIEGEL amid reports that the UK defence chief General Nicholas Patrick Carter has been active in recent months to secure the security deal. Now Khalilzad has confirmed the initiative. Gen. Carter accompanied Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa during his day-long visit to Kabul on Monday and held talks with President Ashraf Ghani and the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Dr Abdullah Abdullah on the peace process.

“We have been working hard, along with the United Kingdom, for the two countries to work on improving security cooperation and perhaps to reach a security agreement with each other. That’s an important part of our peace efforts,” Khalilzad said.

Khalilzad said Pakistan will suffer if this peace effort doesn’t succeed, and if there is no agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Pakistan will be blamed because so much of the Taliban’s leadership lives in Pakistan. A failed peace also means missed opportunities for both countries. Leaders in Pakistan and Afghanistan have a common interest in economic connectivity and trade and development. And we are working hard with both, and with Central Asia, for these things. We believe peace in Afghanistan empowers that and makes that possible,” he said.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have at least two channels for bilateral dialogue — the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity or APAPPS and two groups of military officers were formed on the security and peace process after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Kabul in November. However, the two groups have not yet produced results.

The US envoy said he believes that Pakistan has a legitimate interest in Afghanistan and the Afghans should respect those legitimate interests, adding the legitimate interest is that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used by those hostile to Pakistan against Pakistan. “Similarly, Afghanistan has an interest in Pakistan, and Pakistani soil should not be used by forces hostile to Afghanistan, against Afghanistan. And we have been working hard, along with the United Kingdom, for the two countries to work on improving security cooperation and perhaps to reach a security agreement with each other. That’s an important part of our peace efforts,” he said.

Asked about a rise in violence he said the level of violence is too high and there has been ongoing fighting and there is a need for the peace talks to commence as soon as possible and as earnestly as possible.

“The Taliban spoke to the U.S. and the European group in Berlin this week by video. They said they don’t see a military solution and say that the only option is a political one. Both sides have to be realistic about finding common ground. If there is no peace agreement, the alternative is not a Taliban victory. It is a long war,” Khalilzad said. Talking about the approaches of the Taliban military commanders and the political representatives the US envoy said he believes that the leadership is in control, but it will be judged later.

“But there is also another important factor. If groups inside the Afghan Republic start to divide and each go their separate ways – which is a possibility, and a dangerous one – that would encourage the Taliban, perhaps the hardliners, to seek a military solution,” he observed. Asked what a “military solution” would mean for the future of Afghanistan, Khalilzad said it would mean a repeat of the tragic period of the 1990s, when Afghanistan became the scene of a proxy war following the Soviet departure.

“Many of the leaders of the Taliban and the other Afghan groups remember that period. They remember that terrible mistakes were made: They didn’t come together, instead they each sought an advantage for themselves and that led to a war that destroyed Afghanistan. Our expectation is that the parties won’t repeat that mistake again,” the US envoy recalled.

Talking about the upcoming conference in Istanbul, he said the proposed conference in Turkey is one test to see whether the Taliban want to end the conflict through negotiations, adding the Afghan government is willing to discuss another prisoner release, but they are concerned about the high levels of violence.

He said Turkey gas agreed, together with Qatar and the United Nations, to convene a meeting of the Afghan Republic and the Taliban to accelerate political negotiations, adding the Taliban so far have not agreed to the dates that were proposed.

“They said they haven’t yet received authorization from their leaders. But they do want prisoners released and they do want to be taken off the blacklist.”