Jahangir's World Times First Comprehensive Magazine for students/teachers of competitive exams and general readers as well.
Mohammad Umer Daudzai Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan
Q:- what is the state of relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan?
Ans: There are two major areas of our focus. Our bilateral relations and peace talks with Taliban. Pakistan has declared that she would support Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. We are exploring that what exactly Pakistan means by supporting us. What are the details of the support in terms of contacts and facilitating dialogue with Taliban. As neighbouring countries, ups and downs in our bilateral relations have been there. But we are good neighbours, rather we are proud to be your neighbours. We have opened a new chapter by strengthening our relationship, independent of any mediator.
Q: Do you feel that the misgivings and misunderstandings created after Professor Rabanni’s unfortunate assassination are over now?
A:- I cannot say it is completely over. But there is a beginning and it is a good beginning to normalize mutual relationship. Professor Rabanni’s assassination was a huge loss even for Pakistan, for Afghanistan and for the peace process. We expect from the government of Pakistan to assist us in the investigation into the assassination and reach to the culprits in order to bring them to justice. Initially, Pakistan was slow in responding to that demand. And that added to misunderstandings. Later on, they started to cooperate. The Afghan investigation team visited Islamabad and they were treated very well. They were listened to very well. And then a team from here also visited Kabul. The cooperation in the investigation began and now significant progress has been made. And that started removal of the misunderstandings. However, we all need to have a continuous effort to, first prevent and then to curtail, handle and remove such misunderstandings.
Q:- But Your Excellency! There are also concerns in Pakistan. Soon after the said assassination, President Hamid Karzai signed a strategic pact with India?
Q:- you must be more aware of the fact that there is a wave of documents being signed between Afghanistan and many other countries. Just recently, President Hamid Karzai has returned from Europe wherein he signed agreements with Italy, France and Great Britain. These all agreements are in the context of post-2014 scenario. And it was in the same context that a pactwas signed with India. You cannot sign pacts within a week or a month. I understand that 11 month-long effort was made to prepare a document for strategic partnership pact. It was just a coincidence that it happened at a time when our relationship had a hiccup and the signing came up. But on the whole, we do try to understand Pakistan’s concerns in relationship to India. And that is why we have suggested that let us talk our bilateral relationship which is independent of any other relationship. I may add another thing that when our President was in India for signing the document, he very clearly stated that India is our friend but Pakistan is our brother. You clearly know what the word ‘brother’ means to us.
Q: you were talking of peace and reconciliation. A two-tier Joint Commission was established between the two countries. Why it is not meeting?
A:- Key member of the joint commission has to be the head of High Peace Council which used to be late Professor Rabanni. Since the Afghan government has not yet appointed anybody to head that commission, that is why the joint commission could not meet yet.
Q:- How far Afghanistan feels satisfied with Pakistan’s efforts for peace and reconciliation?
Q:- How far Afghanistan feels satisfied with Pakistan’s efforts for peace and reconciliation?
A:- Peace talks have to be between Afghan government and Afghans. We would only be satisfied when the war is ended and peace prevails. Until that, we will not be satisfied with our own or anyone else’s efforts.
Q: But for any success, it is always important to set a direction. Do you think Pakistan is heading towards the right direction?
A:- Last year in June, when President Karzai was here and he, along with Premier Gillani, inaugurated the joint commission, they talked in details that what were the expectations of Afghanistan and what Pakistan could do. But Pakistan said we will answer that how far we can go, in the second meeting of the joint commission which was supposed to take place in October last year, but could not be held and the whole process suffered delays.
When our President was in India for signing the document, he very clearly stated that India is our friend but Pakistan is our brother. You clearly know what the word ‘brother’ means to us.
Q: Now the whole world knows that talks are going on in Qatar between the United States and Taliban. Does Afghan government know what is going on?
A:- I do not call them, ‘the talks between the United States and Taliban.’ I call them exploratory talks because talks are supposed to take place between Taliban and the Afghan government. When we reach at a stage, when the two sides sit across the table, only then we will call them the peace talks. If anybody else than the stake-holders holds them, these would be termed as the exploratory talks. In regard to whatever is going on and whatever we call it, the Afghan government was aware of that process. But in the end, there was one point that we were shocked a bit about it. In fact, we had not originally proposed Qatar as a venue for address of Taliban. We had suggested that the Taliban address should be somewhere in Afghanistan, or Saudi Arabia or Turkey. We had never mentioned Qatar. All of a sudden, we came to know that they have talked about Qatar as a possible venue of Taliban’s address and Qatar has agreed to that. So, that was a bit of shock for us. But later on, for the sake of peace and for the high value that we attach to the process, we accepted an address for Taliban in Qatar. But we added the talks should not necessarily be limited to Qatar because we can hold talks in Saudi Arabia, in Pakistan, in Turkey and Afghanistan or anywhere which is suitable for both the parties.
A:- I do not call them, ‘the talks between the United States and Taliban.’ I call them exploratory talks because talks are supposed to take place between Taliban and the Afghan government. When we reach at a stage, when the two sides sit across the table, only then we will call them the peace talks. If anybody else than the stake-holders holds them, these would be termed as the exploratory talks. In regard to whatever is going on and whatever we call it, the Afghan government was aware of that process. But in the end, there was one point that we were shocked a bit about it. In fact, we had not originally proposed Qatar as a venue for address of Taliban. We had suggested that the Taliban address should be somewhere in Afghanistan, or Saudi Arabia or Turkey. We had never mentioned Qatar. All of a sudden, we came to know that they have talked about Qatar as a possible venue of Taliban’s address and Qatar has agreed to that. So, that was a bit of shock for us. But later on, for the sake of peace and for the high value that we attach to the process, we accepted an address for Taliban in Qatar. But we added the talks should not necessarily be limited to Qatar because we can hold talks in Saudi Arabia, in Pakistan, in Turkey and Afghanistan or anywhere which is suitable for both the parties.
Q:- Excellency! Do you think Pakistan is also somehow part of these, what you term initial exploratory talks in Qatar?
A:- I believe Pakistan was also aware of that, either at the diplomatic or intelligence level. They have been aware of it. But as regard to their participation, I am not sure even Pakistan wanted to be a part of that exploratory talks between the US and Taliban. What I can say I believe they were aware but not part of that.
