A former Afghan diplomat has denied the claim that Pakistani intelligence agencies created the Taliban and aided their government, saying that the “roots of the Afghan problem lie inside Afghanistan”.
Maulvi Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, foreign minister in the Taliban regime, told Daily Times from his residence here that, “In my view, the root cause of the problem lies in Afghanistan and a solution must be sought within the war-devastated country.” He said Afghanistan’s internal situation, including the establishment of mini-states by warlords, infighting among mujahideen and widespread lawlessness in the wake of the Soviet pullout had led to the emergence of the Taliban, which had drawn support from all segments of Afghan society.
He said the best way of bringing peace to Afghanistan was to let the Afghans decide their own future without any outside interference. He appreciated the recent peace jirga between Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying the positive beginning could go a long way towards resolving Kabul-Islamabad disagreements. However, he added, the jirga “would not address internal issues facing Afghanistan”.
No Taliban at jirga: He said he did not believe the Taliban would attend the second jirga in Islamabad considering their opposition to the first jirga. He said the US-led coalition’s support was required for successful peace talks with the Taliban. “The US-led coalition, NATO troops and other international backers of the Afghan government must lend support to negotiations. It is the only way out of the existing quagmire,” he said.
He said the existing security situation was dismal, adding that the Afghan government had failed to bring about peace and stability by opting for war. They did not attempt to initiate dialogue after toppling the Taliban regime, he added.
Favours foreign troops: Mutawakil said he favoured the presence of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan until the various Afghan factions were independently able to resolve their problems. He said it would not be a speedy process and would require time and patience. He said the battles between Taliban insurgents and foreign troops would never end and could only lead to bad consequences for Afghanistan. “Whether balanced or otherwise, a war such as the one being fought by NATO and coalition forces in Afghanistan can never reach a logical conclusion,” opined the former minister.
Regarding the replacement of NATO and US troops with a force drawn from Muslim countries, Mutawakil said foreign armies were not the answer to the Afghan imbroglio. He also said neighbouring countries such as China, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia did not have a good history of participation in the regionÂ’s peace efforts.
No moderate Taliban: Concerning talks between “moderate” Taliban and some European countries, he said there was no such thing as a moderate Taliban. Seen as a moderate Taliban himself, Mutawakil confessed that the Taliban regime had made several mistakes. However, he said they would amend those in any future set up. He also said he thought that Mullah Omar was still controlling the Taliban. “Considering that no other man inside the movement has challenged him, it is enough to believe he is leading the militia,” he concluded.