Any peace deal in Afghanistan will not be detrimental to India
New Delhi, Oct 11: Any peace deal with the Taliban "will not and should not be detrimental'' to the national security of any country including India, and it is for New Delhi to decide whether to engage with the militant outfit, top Afghan peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah said on Saturday.
In an interview with PTI, Abdullah, the chairman of the powerful High Council for National Reconciliation, also dispelled India's apprehensions that a prominent role for the Taliban as part of a possible outcome to the ongoing intra-Afghan peace talks could be detrimental to its strategic interests.
PM Modi assures Abdullah Abdullah of India’s support to Afghan peace process
"It is not in our interests if any terrorist group has any foothold in Afghanistan. The agreement should be one that is acceptable to the people of Afghanistan. It should be dignified, sustainable, and durable," Abdullah said.
The influential Afghan leader also said if a peace deal is struck with the Taliban, then all other terror groups "freelancing in mountains and deserts of Afghanistan and launching attacks on us or any other nation" will have to cease their activities.
"Peaceful settlement will not be and should not be detrimental to any country's national security including India. India is a country which has helped Afghanistan, contributed to Afghanistan. It is a friend of Afghanistan," he said.
There have been apprehensions in New Delhi that Pakistan might leverage its influence over the Taliban to step up cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir if the militant group regains political prominence after a possible peace deal between it and the Afghan government.
Abdullah arrived here on Tuesday on a five-day visit as part of his efforts to build a regional consensus and support for the historic Afghan peace process. During his stay, he briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the peace talks and held meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Asked whether he got any indication of India's willingness to engage with the Taliban, Abdullah said,"personally, I encourage engagement of India in the peace process. I did not make the suggestion. It is for India to decide how to engage with a group or not engage with a group. I did not pursue it," he said.
The
Taliban
and
the
Afghan
government
are
holding
direct
talks,
aimed
at
ending
decades
of
war
that
has
killed
tens
of
thousands
of
people
and
ravaged
various
parts
of
Afghanistan.
Abdullah
said
people
of
Afghanistan
are
yearning
for
peace
and
stability
and
they
will
not
allow
terrorism
to
sustain.
"If somebody thinks that because of other circumstances in Afghanistan including withdrawal of the US troops, there might be a situation where one side may take advantage of it, temporarily something might happen. But that will put the will of that side to a big test if that is the calculation. Because that is a miscalculation, that will be a miscalculation. That is not in our interest," he said.
India
has
also
been
maintaining
that
care
should
be
taken
to
ensure
that
any
such
process
does
not
lead
to
any
"ungoverned
spaces"
where
terrorists
and
their
proxies
can
relocate.
India
has
been
calling
upon
all
sections
of
the
political
spectrum
in
Afghanistan
to
work
together
to
meet
the
aspirations
of
all
people
in
that
country
including
those
from
the
minority
community
for
a
prosperous
and
safe
future.
India has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested USD two billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country.
The Afghan leader said he is taking back the message of support and commitment to the peace process from India.
"Lot of time and energy was spent to find the best way forward," he said on his talks with Indian leaders.
India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.
On September 12, an Indian delegation attended the inaugural ceremony of the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha while S Jaishankar joined it through a video conference.
On whether there is a possibility of Beijing leaning on Islamabad to protect its security and connectivity interests in Afghanistan if the Taliban becomes a key influencer in Kabul, Abdullah said his country benefits from support from different countries including China which is an important country.
India has been keenly following the evolving political situation after the US signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war with Taliban in the country.