Pakistan 'reaching out to Taleban'

Published on Saturday 23 January 2010 18:18

PAKISTAN is reaching out to "all levels" of the Afghan Taleban in a bid to encourage reconciliation in its war-torn neighbour, officials said.

The nuclear-armed Islamic nation, which is fighting its own Taleban insurgency, made its conciliatory remarks ahead of next week's international conference on the future of Afghanistan in London.

Abdul Basit, a spokesman for the Pakistan foreign ministry, said: "We are trying to reach out to them at all levels and all of us would like that our efforts should bring some results but at this point in time it is very difficult to say."

US President Barack Obama has said a political solution was needed to stabilise Afghanistan and emphasised success would not be possible without Pakistan's support.

The Afghan government is preparing a reintegration plan with the Taleban that targets lower to mid-level Taleban fighters but so far this has not been extended to more senior leaders of the insurgency.

International donors are meeting in London on 28 January, when Afghan president Hamid Karzai is expected to seek their support for his reintegration plan.

Analysts say Pakistan is well placed to mediate in Afghanistan, where it nurtured the Taleban in the 1990s.

Pakistan spokesman Basit said it was important that there be reconciliation at all levels and that Pakistan was helping in this regard. He declined to give any details. "Whether or not our efforts will yield results, we will see," Basit said. "We don't want to discuss the specifics. There are efforts being made and we are trying to win over those Taleban or forces who are 'reconcilables'. Let's see," he added.

Asked specifically whether Pakistan was targeting top-level leaders, he said: "We are trying at all levels but where we succeed is another matter."

US defence secretary Robert Gates visited Pakistan this week and urged it to root out Afghan Taleban based in its north-west border enclaves, from where they have been orchestrating an intensified insurgency in Afghanistan.