As Islamabad’s efforts to persuade Kabul to take action against the terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) failed, the Afghan Taliban renewed their call for peace negotiations on Friday.
This week, Pakistan sent a special envoy on a three-day mission to Kabul to make it clear that the interim administration must act swiftly to stop the TTP. But after several talks, the Afghan Taliban advised him that Pakistan should choose the route of peace rather than using force.
During his visit, Ambassador Asad Durrani had meetings with the acting foreign minister and deputy prime minister of Afghanistan, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and Mawlawi Abdul Kabir.
According to the reports, the deputy prime minister of Afghanistan advised the Pakistani ambassador to go for the “path of peace” as opposed to the “use of force”. According to them, it was clear that the Afghan Taliban had no interest in attacking the TTP.
After the TTP intensified its attacks and exploited earlier rounds of negotiations, Pakistan gave up on the peace effort.
Pakistan would no longer attempt to engage the TTP in dialogue, the civil and military leadership decided. However, if negotiations are necessary, they can only start once the TTP gives up.
The deputy prime minister of Afghanistan urged Pakistan to choose peace over conflict in a request to Durrani. He claimed that given Afghanistan’s painful history of conflict; he would advise Pakistan to pursue a diplomatic solution instead.
