ISLAMABAD: Hectic diplomatic activities are planned over the next few days to explore ways for peace in war-torn Afghanistan and to boost cooperation against Daesh.
Pakistan will take part at the highest diplomatic level in the meetings in Moscow on Wednesday and later in Muscat, official sources said.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua will lead Pakistani delegations at the meeting in Moscow, sources told Daily Times on Tuesday. Mansoor Khan, director general of the Afghan Desk at the Foreign Office, is another senior official who is part of the Pakistani delegation. Both the officials have been involved in high-level meetings on Afghanistan in Kabul, China, Iran and Turkey in recent weeks.
Russia is scheduled to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)-Afghanistan Contact Group in Moscow on Wednesday to exchange opinions on the current situation in Afghanistan to discuss paths towards a settlement there and to strengthen cooperation between the SCO and Afghanistan, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
Pakistani officials believe the SCO has no direct role in the Afghan reconciliation, but with Russia and China both part of the group, it can gradually become a player, particularly if in a few years US lowers its role in Afghanistan.
The SCO consists of eight member states, India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Pakistan and India joined the SCO this year. Officials from Iran, another major stakeholder, which enjoys the status of observer in the SCO, will also attend the Moscow talks. Afghanistan is also observer in the grouping.
The SCO meeting has assumed importance following the Russian active diplomacy in the region with special focus on efforts to push for the political solution to the Afghan problem. Pakistan and other regional countries agree with the notion that military option has failed to solve the Afghan problem.
The Russian regional peace initiative was launched in December with a trilateral meeting of representatives from Pakistan and China in Moscow that was followed by two meetings of all regional countries in Moscow. However, Russia put a pause on its efforts after Afghan government launched the “Kabul Process” to lead the diplomatic efforts and held its first meeting in Kabul in June.
Some regional countries, including Pakistan, had viewed the Kabul Process as a move by the United States to block the Russian-led peace initiative. However, the Russians also temporarily stopped the diplomatic move to give time to the Kabul Process to succeed in peace and reconciliation.
It was the Russian move at the SCO summit in Astana in June that convinced the participants to re-launch the Contact Group on Afghanistan at a higher level, or more precisely, at the level of deputy foreign ministers.
This decision was made due to the continued deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan and the alarming growth of activity by terrorist groups there, including the ISIS, which has compounded regional security risks, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Another key development in the coming days would be the meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group or QCG of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US in Muscat, a Pakistani official says.
The meeting will also mark the revival of the group, as there has been no meeting of the QCG since May last year. The killing of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was thought to be a serious blow to the QCG process.
It is important that the US has now taken the initiative to host the QCG officials in Muscat and a Pakistani official source believes “a number of activities are being organised by Americans in Muscat” about the “regional stability and Afghanistan”, and also to discuss strategy against the Islamic States.
“I believe after problems in Qatar, Oman is presenting itself as a place for such activities,” a Pakistani source told Daily Times.
This will be the first QCG meeting after President Donald Trump unveiled his controversial strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia in August, which mainly focuses on military option but has not closed doors on peace process.
The US Department of Defence revealed publicly for the first time in late August it has about 11,000 troops in Afghanistan. Previously the Pentagon would say the number of American troops was 8,400. Reports suggest the US plans deployment of nearly 4,000 additional troops.
Published in Daily Times, October 11th 2017.
