Afghan representatives, Taliban to meet in a week

Afghan government representatives and Taliban are expected to meet in a week's time in a bid to initiate a formal peace and reconciliation process and end more than a decade of bloodshed in the country, Pakistan has said.
Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz yesterday informed of the meeting while briefing National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee.
Pakistan last month facilitated a meeting of Afghan High Peace Council's Secretary Masoom Stanekzai with Taliban representatives in the Chinese city of Urumqi.
He said that another meeting was planned later this month, without specifying the place and date of meeting.

Apparently the two sides would be getting together to discuss the start of the formal peace and reconciliation process.
Aziz also said that a major breakthrough in the peace process is likely within three months.

It is time for Pakistan to formally acknowledge its role in bringing the warring sides in Afghanistan on the table as pressure mounted on Islamabad to do more in the wake of recent spike in attacks in Afghanistan, Aziz was quoted as saying by Dawn.
The exploratory talks between Kabul and Taliban leadership that were initially conducted in secrecy are gradually moving into the public view, as Taliban openly met Afghan government officials in Norway, UAE and Qatar.

Aziz also hoped that reconciliation could lead to decline in violence in Afghanistan.
But, he also warned that the Taliban were not the only ones fighting in Afghanistan and other groups, including Islamic State and fighters from Central Asian States, were also behind the violence there.
He also defended the intelligence cooperation agreement between ISI and Afghan spy agency NDS (National Directorate of Security) and said it was needed for Afghanistan's security and checking cross-border movements and was signed on the Afghan government's initiative.
Aziz said relations between the two countries are in good shape and the Standard Operating Procedure for coordination along the 2,640-kilometre-long porous border had been readied.

Speaking at the committee meeting, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry admitted that continuing violence in Afghanistan was a major impediment towards peace.
He said that there has to be a two-pronged approach, which should include Pakistan using influence with the Taliban leadership and Afghan security forces holding their ground in the fight against militants.