The government of Afghanistan welcomed the remarks by a Taliban group leader who emphasized on peace talks as an effective approach to end the ongoing crisis and violence in Afghanistan. A Taliban group leader Mullah Agha Jan Mutasim recently pointed towards the Taliban group’s preference for holding peace talks with the Afghan government. The remarks by Mullah Agha Jan Mutasim were discussed during the National Security Council meeting chaired by president Karzai on Sunday.
According to sources of within the High Peace Council, a selected delegation of the High Peace Council traveled to Dubai last week. The goal of trip was to initiate peace negotiations with representatives of Taliban. The Afghan delegation was headed by the Senior Advisor to the President, Mr. Mohammad Masoomn Stanekzai. The Taliban’s representative at this meeting was the former Taliban Finance Minister, while Taliban was in power in Afghanistan, Mr. Mutasem Agha Jan. Following the meeting with the High Peace Council delegation, 16 members of Taliban conferred privately regarding the discussion.
However, Molavi Abdul Raqib, a former Taliban refugee’s minister and one of the members of Dubai peace negotiation session led by Mutasim Aqa jan, was shot dead by unknown gunmen on Monday in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, near the Afghan border. On Tuesday, an Afghan military helicopter transferred his body to his native town in northern Takhar province.
Raqib’s funeral was held on Tuesday. Participants in the funeral ceremony accused the Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) of assassinating him.
Afghan government condemned the death of Molavi Abdul Raqib. According to the Afghan president spokesman, Mulavi Raqib was supporting negotiations with the High Peace Council in Afghanistan. He adds that when the Taliban senior leaders show interests to peace process, they are killed. Recently some other Taliban officials have been targeted by unknown gunmen in Pakistan. Approximately two months ago another Taliban senior leader, Molavi Noorullah Hotak, was killed by unknown gunmen. Moreover, it is reported by some sources that Mullah Haron, a Taliban commander was also injured in Pakistan on Monday and his injury was confirmed by Taliban. Within three last months, 5 Taliban commanders were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Pakistan.
Seemingly, the death of Mulavi Raqib was a great tragedy for Afghan presidential palance. In statement issued by the presidential palace it was reported that President Karzai talked by phone with the father of Mawlavi Abdul RaqibTakhari and offered his condolence regarding the death of Mr. Raqib stating that he had sacrificed his life for peace in Afghanistan. Additionally, Afghan president called Mawlavi Raqib ‘martyr’ and said that perhaps with the bless of his and other martyrs’ blood, peace and stability may be established in Afghanistan.
In addition, President Karzai invited Raqib’s party Tahreek-e-Islami Taliban to return to Afghanistan and urged other Taliban negotiators to go to safe places.
Calling Mawlavi Abdul Raqib a ‘martyr’ enraged Afghan people. Martyrdom is a sacred word in Islam and one who dies for the sacred purpose in Jihad against non-Muslim invaders is called martyr. People say that Abdul Raqib was involved in the death of many Afghan innocent people during Taliban regime and he was also behind suicide attacks. An Afghan official criticized the presidential palace severely for carrying the body of Abdul Raqib by Afghan helicopter. He said that the bodies of our soldiers, who fight devotedly for the protection of their compatriots and motherland, remain on roads for many days, while the body of a Taliban leader, who has killed many Afghans, is carried respectfully by Afghan helicopter.
President Karzai’s soft stance towards Taliban puts him in collision course with Afghan people. For instance, refusing to sign Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Kabul and Washington which was agreed upon by Afghan consultative Loya Jirga, releasing Taliban – especially the 65 Taliban which were released from Bagram prison and was marked dangerous by US forces and now calling Mawlavi Raqib a ‘martyr’ and carrying him by Afghan helicopter. Considering Karzai’s generosity, will Taliban compensate and act honestly in the peace talk?
According to reports, the Taliban group in Afghanistan denied reports regarding peace negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban leaders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban’s spokesman, following a statement, said that Mullah Agha Jan Mutasim does not represent the Taliban group and has not links with the movement. He added that no member of the Taliban group has attended talks with the Afghan government officials in Dubai. Moreover, he called the movements by Mullah Agha Jan Mutasim against the principles of the Taliban group in Afghanistan and said that such initiatives are only in the favor of US occupation forces and Afghan puppet government.
In addition the United States of America also shows interest on peace talk. The Obama administration is taking steps to resume peace talks to end the Afghan conflict, including reviving a proposed swap of Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo Bay in return for a U.S. prisoner of war. President Obama's senior aides in late December resolved to renew attempts to arrange the prisoner exchange with the goal of jump-starting negotiations stalled since last June. The hope is that the exchange could open the door to more substantive peace talks on Afghanistan's future. To further the initiative, U.S. officials also have held meetings with the government of Qatar.
Undoubtedly, the issues of terrorism and peace talks have turned very controversial which also led to strained relations between Kabul and Washington from long ago. Moreover, both US and Afghan government met failure in dealing this issue within more than a decade.
Moreover, in recent days, Afghan officials accuse foreign forces of supporting Taliban insurgents. Zerar Ahmad Muqbil, The Afghan Foreign Minister, talking to a news agency regarding his trip to Turkey, said that it would be difficult for the Taliban militants to continue their combat operations without the assistance of foreign intelligence. He added that Afghanistan will begin peace negotiation with Taliban and then sign Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA).
I believe that the controversy over terrorism will go on and peace talks will be fruitless as ever. It is also too late for Karzai’s government to succeed in bringing peace with his present stance. Therefore, the present government must bring changes in its strategy and attitude towards the reconciliation process, if it really wants to have success in it.