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Afghanistan, Pakistan to step up anti-Taliban fight

Tuesday, 08 December 2015 7:11 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 09 December 2015 9:48 AM ]

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (L) and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during a meeting in Kabul on May 12, 2015 (Photo by AFP)

A conference aimed at reinforcing cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the battle against Taliban militants has opened in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hikmat Khalil Karzai told the conference on Tuesday that a united response was needed to deal with the menace of terrorism which has been sweeping the troubled region.

"The wave of terrorist activities, including those of Daesh in various parts of the region and the world, once again reminds us of the gravity of this menace confronting today's humanity and the urgency for a united position against this evil phenomenon," he said.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is also expected to attend the second day of the conference on Wednesday.

The two-day meeting, dubbed "Heart of Asia," will seek ways to boost coordination on a range of issues between the two countries. Cooperation between Kabul and Islamabad is seen as essential for tackling Taliban militants who are wreaking havoc across the volatile region.

The meeting will also discuss ways to resume stalled peace talks with Taliban militants. Islamabad said in a statement recently that Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ghani had agreed to work to resume talks with Taliban.

Pakistan hosted a first round of peace talks between Taliban and Afghan leaders back in July. The talks stalled after the militants belatedly announced the death of their longtime leader Mullah Omar.

In this archival picture, Taliban militants stand on a hillside at Maydan Shahr District of Wardak Province, west of the Afghan capital, Kabul. (AFP photo)

There have also been growing differences among Taliban elements over peace talks with the Afghan government, with some vowing to fight for power instead of taking part in negotiations.

Chances of peace talks are slim as relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been tense in recent years over the ongoing militancy. Senior Afghan officials blame elements inside the Pakistani spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), for supporting the Taliban militants, while Islamabad blames the Afghan government for giving shelter to the militants on its side of the border.

President Ghani recently said Afghanistan and Pakistan had been fighting a 14-year-long "undeclared war".

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed Taliban from power, but insecurity still remains in some provinces. The violence has also spilled over into Pakistan.

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