ISLAMABAD: Legislatures of the
United States, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan are expected to agree to a plan
to ease peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in a meeting
in Islamabad Saturday.
The representatives are
trying to prepare a "road map" for a maintainable and productive
peace process, and studying what to do about Taliban groups that oppose the
talks and refuse to end conflicts.
The Quadrilateral
Coordination Group has met twice before in Islamabad and Kabul, but no
significant developments were reported in those meetings.
“I’m hopeful that in
today’s deliberations, we’ll be able to finalize and adopt the roadmap,” Sartaj
Aziz, adviser to Pakistan’s prime minister on foreign affairs, said in his
opening statement.
The four countries are
trying to find a way to convince the Afghan Taliban to come to the table.
Taliban officials have
called these talks “useless” and have not indicated that they are willing to
cease hostilities against the Afghan government.
They have demanded the release of their imprisoned members, removal of U.N. travel and financial restrictions on senior insurgent leaders, and withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Aziz said that the QCG has made “serious progress” during its first two meetings.
Addressing a key Afghan concern about an increase in Taliban attacks that Afghanistan has often blamed on insurgent leaders operating out of Pakistan, Aziz expressed confidence that “the process would lead to a significant reduction in violence.”
He emphasized, however, the need to keep the dialogue process on track and “avoiding a situation like that witnessed in July last year.”
They have demanded the release of their imprisoned members, removal of U.N. travel and financial restrictions on senior insurgent leaders, and withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Aziz said that the QCG has made “serious progress” during its first two meetings.
Addressing a key Afghan concern about an increase in Taliban attacks that Afghanistan has often blamed on insurgent leaders operating out of Pakistan, Aziz expressed confidence that “the process would lead to a significant reduction in violence.”
He emphasized, however, the need to keep the dialogue process on track and “avoiding a situation like that witnessed in July last year.”
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