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Pak played ‘key role’ in US-Taliban prisoner deal
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan may not have been directly part of the prisoner swap deal between the Afghan Taliban and the United States but it quietly persuaded the two sides into breaking the deadlock, it was learnt.
A senior security official familiar with the development disclosed that Pakistan helped the two sides establish initial contacts that eventually paved the way for the release of US Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five Afghan detainees from Guantanamo Bay detention centre.
“We were not part of the final deal but we played our part,” said the official, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to talk to the media.
It was believed that Pakistan had facilitated certain Afghan Taliban commanders who travelled to Doha for crucial negotiations with the US to broker a deal on the exchange of prisoners. The development, the official said, could prove to be a significant “confidence building measure” between the two sides.
The Afghan Taliban had refused to enter into peace talks with the US until the latter released the group’s prisoners from Guantanamo Bay.
Talks on the prisoners release broke down several times, but the deal was finally brokered after Pakistan cautioned both sides through behind the scene contacts that further delay may diminish chances of a peace agreement.
Official sources revealed that US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last Thursday and informed him about the deal with the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan is considered pivotal for any peace deal in Afghanistan because of its security establishment’s historic ties with the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
When contacted, a foreign ministry official was quick to clarify that Pakistan’s role would only be that of a “facilitator.”
“We will welcome any step that would lead to long term peace and stability in Afghanistan,” the official added.
Pakistan is officially pursuing a cautious approach as publicly it does not want to be seen playing a central role in the Afghan peace talks due to its likely negative fallout.
Officials now hope that the breakthrough in prisoners exchange may lead to more ‘sustained and direct talks’ between the US and the Afghan Taliban.
They said Pakistan had been pushing all “stakeholders” for months to move on and start “meaningful” negotiations.
Source: is.gd/7bOlB2
Perhaps this is the reason why Karzai is fuming at the development. The more he wants to keep Pakistan at bay, they more Pakistan seems crucial to everything related to Afghanistan.