These recent remarks reflect the Afghanistan’s discontent over what it has always described as half-hearted efforts by Pakistan to jumpstart the peace process.
However, Pakistan has always reiterated its dedication towards the four-nation group comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States promoting Afghan peace process.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has accused Pakistan on several occasions of supporting Taliban leaders – an accusation Islamabad denies.
Haroon Chakhansuri, Ghani’s spokesman, said on Thursday that the four-nation group – Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States – has no plans to meet again anytime soon.
Also Read: Afghanistan should avoid allegations against Pakistan: FO
The group has met five times since January, in Kabul and in Pakistan without the Taliban, who have refused to join peace talks.
“There is no set time for another meeting of the group,” Chakhansuri said and added that Afghanistan continues to suffer from “terrorist groups that operate from and have a support base in Pakistan.”
Javid Faizal, a spokesman for Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, accused Pakistan of failing to keep pledged made during earlier meetings, including ending support to the Taliban, whose leaders are widely believed to be based in Pakistani bordering areas.
He alleged that Pakistan “is still supporting the insurgency, providing medical facilities, training, financing, which shows they have not kept their promises to make the Taliban join the peace process.”
“If they haven’t fulfilled even the first stage, it is not possible to move to the second stage.”
Meanwhile, Faizal stressed that Kabul’s participation in talks in the future not been ruled out particularly if the “United States and China can guarantee a fruitful outcome.”
