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Afghan envoys head to Pakistan for peace talks
KABUL: Afghan efforts to broker peace with the Taliban enter a new phase this week with the first scheduled visit of envoys to Islamabad, part of a growing recognition that the process hinges on Pakistan.Afghanistan's ex-president Burhanuddin Rabbani is set to lead a delegation from President Hamid Karzai's High Council for Peace in talks with officials from neighbouring Pakistan.
"There will be talks with all stakeholders about bringing peace to Afghanistan," Rabbani's deputy Ataullah Ludin said.
"This trip is the beginning. We cannot talk about the result now, however, we are optimistic for all peace efforts."
Ludin said the group would meet figures including Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani but would not disclose which day the visit starts.
The move comes at the start of a crucial year for Afghanistan -- limited international troop withdrawals are expected to start in July before a planned handover of responsibility for security to Afghan troops in 2014.
But some international diplomats and commanders enter 2011 convinced that the plan can only succeed if there are meaningful talks with the Taliban, and the role of Pakistan is seen as crucial.
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have long been tense, but the intensity of the rhetoric between them has eased since Zardari took over from Pervez Musharraf in 2008.
It seems that Afghanistan may need all the help it can get in making progress on peace.
Karzai made negotiations a top priority in 2010, calling a national conference and creating the High Council for Peace. But attempts to open discussions with the rebels have so far got nowhere.
Last week, foreign affairs ministry spokesman Abdul Basit confirmed the High Council for Peace's visit and vowed Pakistan would "continue to support and help in whatever way the Afghanistan government wants".
Courtesy www.geo.tv