ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is hopeful that despite the current deadlock, theAfghan peace process would resume soon, Pakistani media said on Monday.
The chances of revival of talks between the US and Taliban are boosted withthe unannounced visit of US Defense Secretary Mark Esper to Afghanistan onSunday.
It said in the last week of August, the US chief negotiator and AfghanTaliban representatives met in Doha to finalize the draft peace deal,seeking an end to the 18-year long conflict.
President Donald Trump, who considers himself as a deal-maker, wanted totake full credit of the imminent peace agreement. And he had decided toinvite the Afghan Taliban leaders at Camp David.
But the process hit a roadblock when certain officials within the Trumpadministration opposed the deal as a document of surrender. Trump had tocall off the meeting with the Taliban as well as peace talks.
According to the report refusal of Taliban to agree to a ceasefire orreduce violence in Afghanistan, led to the collapseof year-long painstaking talks.
The Trump administration wanted to insert the new clause that would havementioned the Taliban committing to a ceasefire in the proposed deal.
The insurgents group refused to change the already agreed deal with ZalmayKhalilzad, the US special envoy for Afghan reconciliation.
The report added the deadlock prevented signing of the agreement, and Trumplater declared the peace process as “dead”. But, Pakistan, whichfacilitated the process in Doha, has since been trying its best to revivethe peace deal.
Earlier this month it hosted direct meeting between the Afghan Talibandelegation led by Mullah Baradar and Ambassador Khalilzad.
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The two rounds of talks in Islamabad were part of efforts to bridge the gapbetween the two sides — particularly on the issue of ceasefire.
Pakistan has been pressing the Taliban to agree to a ceasefire or at leastgive a commitment for reducing the level of violence.
The official, who requested not to be named since he was not authorised tospeak to the media on the subject, said in order to end the stalematePakistan had suggested the Taliban to agree on an “unannounced ceasefire”if they had any problem in making their decision public at this stage.
The US side endorsed the idea and indicated resuming peace talks if theTaliban were ready to give the commitment for a ceasefire in private.
The US feels that a ceasefire even unannounced can create an environmentconducive for the resumption of talks to finalise the peace deal.
The Taliban have so far not given any response to the proposal. But, thetwo sides agreed to take some confidence-building measures before makingprogress on contentious issues.
Pakistan is hopeful that despite the current deadlock, the process wouldresume soon.
