‘Peace pact with Taliban is unlikely before September polls’

Afghan official says no compromise on fundamental issues

(FILES) In this photograph taken on October 25, 2012, Afghan president Hamid Karzai's Chief of Staff, Omar Daudzai looks on during a joint press conference at the Presidential palace in Kabul. Afghan Probable presidential candidate Omar Daudzai was appointed as Afghanistan's acting interior minister on September 1, 2013 putting him in a high-profile public role five months before the country's first democratic transfer of power. AFP PHOTO/ SHAH Marai/ FILES

A peace agreement with the Taliban is unlikely to materialise before the September election in Afghanistan, said a leader of the High Peace Council of the country. Addressing a gathering at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) here, Mohammad Umer Daudzai, Chief Executive of the Afghan High Peace Council, said Afghanistan would not compromise on fundamental issues with the Taliban, stating that the rebels would have to come clean about ties with Pakistan.

Long process

“Peace talks is a complex and long process which will take some time. But it will not be achieved before the election. There will be some uncertainties but the polling and transition will be completed nevertheless,” said Mr. Daudzai, who held talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday.

In conversation with the visiting dignitary, Ms. Swaraj conveyed India’s support to peace and stability in the war-torn country. “India expressed its support for sustainable peace in Afghanistan,” said the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in a social media message.

Areas of concern

Mr. Daudzai explained Kabul’s main areas of concern about the ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and the United States in Qatar.

He pointed out that the U.S. special envoy for the talks, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, and other senior officials have from time to time briefed Kabul about the talks but maintained that they had no way to find out if they were being told the full details. The visit by the key official took place, days after the visit of Mr. Khalilzad to Delhi during which he briefed Indian policy makers.

High profile

However, he said the talks had given the Taliban a higher political profile. He mentioned that the U.S.-Taliban talks were not supposed to treat the rebels as the real representative of the people of the country, saying “People of Afghanistan are optimistic of the future of peace but they are also pessimistic as the real party that is the Government of Afghanistan is missing in the talks.”

The Government of Afghanistan ensured its pre-eminent position by holding a Loya Jirga recently which received representatives from at least 381 districts. In the Loya Jirga, it was decided that certain “non-negotiables” will not be allowed to be changed by discussion with the Taliban. “The name of the country, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, freedom of expression and other freedoms are among those non-negotiable,” said Mr. Daudzai, indirectly rejecting the Taliban’s repeated description of itself as the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”

Ties with Pak.

Another area of concern for Kabul, he revealed, was the state of relationship between the rebels and Pakistan saying that the outfit needed to clarify its ties with Islamabad. He acknowledged that Pakistan played the role of facilitator of talks between the Taliban and the U.S. and indicated that they would urge Pakistan to cooperate in making the talks broad-based and acceptable to Kabul.

“When the right time comes, the Taliban will join the rest of the country,” said Mr. Daudzai, expressing hope for continued peace process in the future.