Rehman Malik welcomes signing of a peace agreement between Afghan Taliban and US

Islamabad: Former Interior Minister and Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator A. Rehman Malik has welcomed the signing of a peace agreement between the Afghan Taliban and the United States.

In a statement here today on Saturday, he said that Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qatar Javed Bajwa has played a vital role in the US-Afghan Taliban peace talk which is highly appreciable.

He said that it is hoped that the agreement will prove as a milestone in setting the directions in restoring peace in Afghanistan and the world will also positively contribute towards it. However he expressed some serious strategical reservations over some parts of the agreement and stated that the dialogue has ended into two parts agreement- one the Afghan Taliban vs USA Peace deal and the second portion is the Intra- Afghan dialogue.

He said that the deal between the USA and the Taliban is basically a great achievement of the USA itself as it contains interm relief for the USA and Allied troops.

The US President Donald Trump will claim the success of withdrawal of forces before his general elections as committed to his fellow American. He said the withdrawal of American Forces from Afghanistan will benefit Donald Trump in the next US Elections.
Senator A. Rehman Malik said that the second part of the agreement which deals with the Intra-Afghan dialogue is still pending and the implementation of this part will be difficult as it will be difficult to bring the Taliban and President Ashraf Ghani on one page which will cause serious consequences.

He said, “President Ashraf Ghani has connected Intra – Afghan to the constitution of Afghanistan and hence I do not see the Intra- Afghan dialogue successful”. He added that President Ashraf Ghani will be talking about dialogue under the Afghan constitution and Mullah Brothers have announced the dialogue to the establishment of an Islamic system.

He said that President Ghani will frustrate the Intra-Afghan dialogue for not agreeing with the Afghan Taliban many provisions and conditions. He said that the Peace Agreement is beneficial for the USA but gradually Afghanistan will advance towards the Civil War like situation as many factions of the Taliban are not part of this process. He said that it would have been far better and effective if all political factions of Afghanistan were taken into confidence and part of the dialogue. He also expressed serious concerns that the word “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” in the agreement which is worrisome as it will divide Afghanistan into two factions; one the State of Afghanistan and other the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan resultantly Afghanistan stands divided into two ideologies dangerous for the country.