Taleban to welcome Pak-Iran efforts for return of peace
RECORDER REPORT

Business Recorder

ISLAMABAD (January 25) : The visiting Afghan foreign minister, Wakil Ahmad Mutawakkil, has said that Taleban will welcome joint or individual efforts by Pakistan and Iran to resolve the Afghan problem.
Addressing a crowded press conference here on Monday after a meeting at the Foreign Office with the Pakistan foreign minister, Abdus Sattar, the soft-spoken Afghan foreign minister said that Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf's proposal to Iran to play an active role in the peaceful resolution of the Afghan issue was a welcome development.
He said that the Taleban would build up relations with Iran and, "in fact, with all neighbouring countries".
So far as resumption of dialogue with the northern alliance is concerned, the Afghan foreign minister pointed out that the UN Secretary General has appointed a new envoy for Afghanistan. "We are waiting for his visit to Afghanistan to see what new proposals, or innovative ideas, he has for the settlement of the long-drawn-out Afghan problem.
..........About the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland, the Afghan foreign minister said that the Taleban would welcome their return, and added that "we are facilitating their return while a general amnesty has already been declared for all those who were affiliated to any of the parties or factions in the past."
..........Wakil said that an Afghan delegation, led by the ruling council would be visiting Pakistan to hold discussions with the Pakistani leadership on matters of mutual interest. He said he was confident that an agreement on Afghan transit trade (ATT) would be reached during the forthcoming visit of the delegation to Islamabad.
..........Asked about Taliban's perception of the Kashmir dispute, the Afghan foreign minister emphasised that efforts should be made for the resolution of the Kashmir conflict under the auspices of the United Nations or the OIC. Referring to gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir at the hands of the Indian occupation forces, he said that every human being was hurt by it. He also expressed concern that the Indian government still recognises the opposition northern alliance as the 'government of Afghanistan'.
..........The Afghan foreign minister who faced a barrage of questions about Chechnya, said that the problem was the most critical issue of the day and added that it was the obligation of the entire humanity, especially the Islamic world, to express solidarity with the suffering Chechens. He said the Taleban have already accorded recognition to Chechnya and urged other countries to follow suit.
..........He said he had conveyed the Chechens' request for recognition to the Pakistan foreign minister. But when asked about the response of Pakistan foreign minister to the Chechen request, Wakil said it was the right of the Chechens to make a request for recognition and it was his responsibility to convey the request to the Pakistan leadership. "Now it is up to the Pakistan government to take a decision in this regard," he added.
..........The Afghan foreign minister said that the Chechens "are better trained than anybody else in warfare", and this fact had been admitted by the Russians themselves. He said the Russian soldiers are selling their arms and ammunition to the Chechens who are using the Russian weapons against the Russian forces.
..........He said: "We have extended Chechnya diplomatic recognition and promised to provide all possible assistance to them." He said a Chechen delegation would visit Kabul soon while the Chechen embassy had been opened in Kabul on January 23, 2000 by a representative of the Chechens.
..........Asked about the identity of the hijackers of the Indian airliner and their release, he said they were allowed to leave following an agreement between the hijackers and the Indian foreign minister. "We are not aware of their identity, nor are we aware of their destination," he stressed.
..........He said Taleban are against narcotics and condemn terrorism. He, however, stressed that there should be differentiation between terrorism and Jihad. For example, the armed struggle against the Russians is Jihad while the missile attack on Afghanistan was an act of terrorism.
..........He said the Taleban have never opposed women education but it should be according to Afghan culture and Islamic way of life. He, however, added that they lack resources for providing education to women.
..........About Osama bin Laden, he regretted that the United States rejected all sensible proposals made by Taleban to resolve the issue. He said that there are no restriction on the movement of Osama and he is free to leave the country as and when he wishes.
..........Pak-Afghan issues
..........Mutawakkil said that Taleban ruling council's head, Mulla Muhammad Rabbani, would be visiting Pakistan for detailed discussions on a number of issues.
..........He said the questions like new initiatives on peace process in his country, the transit trade, traffic in narcotic would be discussed by him with Pakistani leaders.
..........Although he did not say so, it was understood that Pakistani leaders have given him an invitation for the visit of Rabbani who rarely goes out of his country.
..........Mutawakkil had primarily come to Pakistan to receive the invitation and discuss the possible agenda for Pak-Afghan talks. Mutawakkil is on his first visit to Islamabad since his promotion to the cabinet rank from the spokesmanship of the Taleban administration.
..........After his meetings with Pakistan foreign minister and senior foreign ministry officials, the Afghan minister told a news conference that his government shared the desire of Pakistani and Iranian leaders for a "durable peace" in Afghanistan.
..........He said: "We appreciate the constructive role Pakistan has played in this direction."
..........He said that he had received a briefing on the talks Chief General Pervez Musharraf had with the Iranian leaders during his visit to Tehran and noted their desire to work together for establishing peace in his country.
..........Meanwhile the Foreign Office officials said Abdul Sattar had emphasised on Mutawakkil to take urgent steps for establishment of peace through dialogue and reconciliation and expressed hoped that the Taleban leaders would play traditionally positive role in the peace process.
..........Pakistani officials said that the two sides had also discussed the transit trade, cross-border smuggling and narcotics traffic as well as ways to "enhance bilateral economic collaboration".
..........Sattar re-assured his Afghan guest that in spite of resource constraint, Pakistan would do its best towards the economic reconstruction of his country and hoped that international community would come forward "generously" with development assistance to restore the war-ravaged infrastructure.