Iran, S. Arabia back initiative on Afghan issue, says FO

Dawn

By Hasan Akhtar

ISLAMABAD, Jan 12: Pakistan has said it has got both Saudi Arabia and Iran "on board" in its latest initiative for a negotiated peaceful settlement of the Afghanistan civil war and was hopeful of receiving similar support from the US and the Russian Federation.

"We have the support of Saudi Arabia and Iran and strongly hope that this process (of intra-Afghan dialogue between their nominated ulema) will move forward", Foreign Office spokesman said at a news briefing here on Monday.

Taliban had proposed the talks with Afghan opposition based in northern part of Afghanistan should take place between the ulema nominated by the two sides. Northern Alliance reportedly accepted the offer.

The spokesman emphasised that the value of the Saudi support to Pakistan's initiative could be measured in diplomatic terms very substantial and useful.

"Pakistan looks at with great expectations and hope, a possible negotiated and peaceful settlement of the Afghanistan situation, having secured agreement of major Afghan rival parties to open intra-Afghan dialogue between their nominated ulema, said to be in accord with Sunnah and Afghan tradition to resolve their disputes".

However, even after about two weeks, neither side is known to have given the list of their nominee ulema to the other.

Answering a question, the spokesman said that he did not think there had been any undue delay in finalization of ulema lists. He maintained that such exercise required careful deliberations and often prolonged consultations, even if that were to take place in a single party. The Afghan groups often are composed of disparate parties.

The spokesman said that the whole object of seeking a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan was to secure its sovereignty and territorial integrity; if that was not done what would be the purpose of striving for intra-Afghan dialogue, he asked. He was asked for comments on a reported statement of Muslim League senator, Munir Akram, expressing the view that de facto Afghanistan was a divided country.

Foreign Office spokesman Tariq Altaf informed newsmen that Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad had comprehensively briefed Saudi leaders on the hopeful outcome of the Pakistan's latest peace initiative launched on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's directive. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal had voiced strong support to the Pakistani initiative and held out an assurance that Saudi Arabia would willingly join hands "with us", the spokesman said. Saudi Arabia followed Pakistan in recognizing the Taliban government in Afghanistan; the United Arab Emirates came next while no other Islamic or any foreign government followed their lead.

Iran is the only foreign government which,however, decided to recognize the Taliban opposition Alliance administration based in northern Afghanistan. Mr Ahmad had also met and held talks in Riyadh with interim President of Afghanistan, Mullah Rabbani,in Riyadh who was incidentally also in Saudi capital during the Foreign Secretary's visit, the spokesman said.

Asked whether a ceasefire would be ordered before the ulema start talking, the spokesman said, let no pre-condition be proposed. He hoped that all these steps would follow once the rival Afghan parties began talking. Other governments in Afghanistan neighbourhood besides the United States and Russia could possibly be associated later with peace negotiations if called upon by the parties directly involved.

The spokesman while briefing newsmen on Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad's talks last week in Riyadh with the Saudi Foreign Minister on all aspects of the Afghanistan situation, including the talks held with Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani,in Islamabad late last month and with the Iranian leaders,including Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi in Tehran.

Pakistan's special envoy Iftikhar Murshed had met the Iranian leaders early January to brief them on talks with Prof Rabbani and the Afghan leaders Mullah Mohmmad Umar in Kandhar and Mullah Rabbani, interim Afghan President.

Replying to a question, the spokesman said that during his talks with the Saudi Foreign Minister and officials, the Pakistan Foreign Secretary had briefed them on the current situatin in the India-held Kashmir and spotlighted the increase in repression of the Kashmiri Muslim freedom fighters by the Indian occupation forces and desecration of Muslim shrines in the held Kashmir in the recent weeks. Three such major incidents were reported in as many weeks, Mr Ahmad informed the Saudi leaders.

The Saudis had been supporting Pakistan's consistent policy on the Kashmir issue, he said.