ISLAMABAD - The United States has geared up its efforts to engage Afghan Taliban, led by Mullah Omar, to secure a ceasefire with various resistance groups to bring the conflict to end, diplomatic sources told TheNation on Sunday.
The sources privy to these developments said that the Obama Administration was giving deep thoughts to proposals seeking pulling out troops ahead of 2014, the timeline set out last year by the US President.
The sources were of the view that Obama’s Afghan war was adversely impacting his plans seeking second term in the US elections starting from November this year, Obama Administration was seriously considering plans to pull out US troops much ahead of the 2014 timeline.
“The US is making desperate efforts to establish lines of communications with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan of Afghanistan-led by Mullah Omer,” the sources said, adding that was the purpose to establish a Taliban office in Doha, capital of Qatar. The sources said that the proposed office to be manned by some old Taliban including former Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil would be funded by the US and its key NATO allies Turkey and Germany, to serve as a mere postal address to reach out to Mullah Omer.
“It is just a fishing plan hatched by three countries and supported reluctantly by Afghan President Hamid Karzai,” the sources said believing the move was doomed to non-starter.
The sources said that Taliban Chief leading Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Afghanistan was reluctant to talk with the US or Afghan government until and unless foreign troops pull out from the war torn country.
Whereas the group headed by Wakil Muattawakil was primarily struggling to secure release of former colleagues captured by the US forces and were being kept at the Guantanamo bay detention camp.
Amazingly, neither the US nor the Afghan government has taken Pakistan on board while kicking off the plan to set up a Taliban office in Doha.
Pakistan has been demanding an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of reconciliation to bring lasting stability in the neighbouring country.
“We have always supported an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process. We strongly believe that stability and peace in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s core interest,” Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit remarked to a query by this scribe.
Relations between Pakistan and the US are currently on hold as Pakistan’s authorities are engaged in o approving new rules of engagement with the United States seeking new deals in black and white between the two countries to boost bilateral cooperation.
Pakistan shut supplies of Afghanistan bound NATO’s logistic supplies in the wake of attacks on its border posts in Salala on November 26 killing 24 Pakistani soldiers.
“Pakistan has a critical role in reconciliation in Afghanistan and the US is committed to deepen cooperation with Pakistan and wants to boost relations to serve mutual interest,” US Embassy spokesman Mark Stroh said in response to query by this scribe.