Agreement b/w Afghan govt, Hizb can serve as model for peace

Pakistan today said the agreement between the Afghan government and the Gulbuddin Hikmatyar-led Hizb-e-Islami can serve as model for a deal with the Taliban to bring peace in the war-hit country, as military approach in the past 16 years has failed to render any desired results.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Pakistan has always maintained that the only viable solution to the Afghan conflict lies in a politically negotiated, Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process.
He said that it was essential that "the Afghan leadership should come up with a credible and inclusive peace plan so that all Afghan stake holders are incentivised to promote peace".

"The peace deal signed between the Afghanistan government and the Hizb-e-Islami can serve as a model for future talks with other insurgent groups including the Taliban," he said.
The Afghanistan government had last year signed a peace agreement with the Hizb-e-Islami, the country's second largest militant group. The deal grants immunity to Hikmatyar, an Islamist warlord accused of numerous atrocities.
Expressing doubts on the efforts by the US and its allies to defeat Taliban through military means, Faisal said, "the military approach has been tried for over 16 years and has failed to render the desired results.

"It has only increased the sufferings of the Afghan people and enhanced their resentment against the foreign forces on their land," he said.

Stressing that Pakistan wants an early, dignified, sustainable and complete repatriation of Afghan refugees, he urged the international community and Afghan government to invest in the creation of "pull factors" for incentivising the return of refugees.
He said that the presence Afghan refugees in Pakistan helps Afghan terrorists to melt and morph among them.
Faisal said Pakistan had expressed serious concerns with the UNHCR for reportedly using anti-Pakistan contents in the schools run by it for Afghan refugees.
"Foreign Ministry has taken up this matter with UNHCR and conveyed deep concerns. We expect international organizations to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism, impartiality, and respect for national laws," he said.

Faisal said that the UNHCR has undertaken to launch investigation and share its findings.