Matrix Report
A story published by the Times of India and written by Indrani Bagchi, on Monday, has argued that India is being ‘elbowed out’ of the Afghan peace process, with Pakistan taking the central stage in the process. Bagchi wrote that India was ‘neither anywhere in the peace process nor were its concerns gaining any traction’. The story also argued how India’s wish of holding timely Presidential elections in Kabul was being ignored by Washington.
This story was apparently a reference to the US-Russia-China trilateral group on Afghan peace consultation, where Pakistan was also welcomed in the group, making it a quadrilateral peace consultation group. The announcement was made in a joint statement released by the Four-Party Meeting on the Afghan Peace Process in Beijing on July 10 and 11. The joint statement read that ‘China, Russia, and the United States welcomed Pakistan joining the consultation and believe that Pakistan can play an important role in facilitating peace in Afghanistan’.
In response to the Indian concerns, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, on Monday, said that “China has been in close communication and coordination with all parties including India” on the Afghanistan issue.
It is also worth noting that Pakistani PM Imran Khan is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on July 22 in Washington, which, according to many, could ‘reset’ the tense Pak-US ties. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on Tuesday, also said that Pakistan’s cooperation in the ongoing Afghan peace process has led to a ‘gradual warming up’ of bilateral ties with the US.
While speaking at a seminar in Islamabad, Qureshi said that PM Khan’s visit to the US was aimed at bilateral engagement on a broader level, however he also admitted that the Afghan peace process could remain the prominent topic of discussion between the two leaders.
Discussing regional peace and stability, Qureshi argued:
“It will, therefore, be appropriate to work for broader engagement from Afghanistan to bilateral issues, economic and trade cooperation to peace and stability in South Asia. Pakistan has welcomed President Trump’s farsighted decision to pursue a political solution in Afghanistan, which in fact was an endorsement of our own position espoused for a long time”
Pakistan’s cooperation along with recent peace talks and developments have given a ray of hope to those wanting an end to the protracted conflict in Afghanistan. Moreover, the Taliban have also somewhat pledged to reduce violence against civilian institutions in post-peace Afghanistan.
Senior US officials are hopeful that a peace agreement between the two warring parties will be reached before September 1, 2019.
