News Analysis: Despite Taliban's refusal, Pakistani, Afghan officials keep hopes for talks alive

The Afghan Taliban has refused to take part in direct peace negotiations with the Afghan government, but diplomatic efforts are underway to start the process.

The Taliban's powerful leadership council cited "America's deployment of fresh troops to Afghanistan, their airstrikes, night raids and Kabul administration's expanded operations" as excuses to turn down the invitation to join the political dialogue.

The Taliban's statement on March 5 also reiterated its policy that "unless the occupation of Afghanistan is ended, blacklists (UN sanctions on top Taliban leaders) eliminated and innocent prisoners freed," negotiations will "not bear any results."

Shortly after the Taliban publicly said it would not take part in the talks, Pakistani and Afghan leaders expressed their hope that the process would soon start.

The Taliban may have arguments for their preconditions but they will likely not win any support for this approach as it is seen as a major obstacle blocking the political process. As the Taliban has kept its political option open and appointed a political commission, their rejection of peace negotiations could be contrary to their own policy.

The Afghan government has shown flexibility and has not attached any precondition to the the face-to-face talks with the Taliban groups and the insurgents are also expected to follow suit to push for the political resolution. Afghan deputy foreign minister Khalil Hekmat

Karzai told members of a Pakistani security delegation in Kabul last week that his government is ready to discuss any of the Taliban demands if the group first come to the negotiation table.

The Taliban should not miss this opportunity and should show flexibility like the Afghan government has to start the process.

It is not only Afghanistan, but Pakistan and other members of the quadrilateral process of Pakistan including Afghanistan, China and the United States are unanimous in believing that there should be no preconditions for the dialogue.

The Taliban have long been calling for talks first with the U.S. to discuss certain issues related to the U.S. and its western allies, like discussions on a time-frame for the withdrawal of the foreign troops and de-listing the Taliban leaders from the UN sanctions list.

The Taliban do not have any support for their demand to hold talks with the U.S. and bypass the Afghan government. The Taliban currently have a good chance to join the four-nation peace process as they can convey their demands in the presence of the U.S. officials.

The quadrilateral grouping in its meeting last month in Kabul, had invited the Taliban to join the talks by the first week of March. But the Taliban came up with a negative response that has disappointed members of the four-way mechanism.

Despite negative signals from the Taliban at this stage, the quadrilateral is still looking into options of how to encourage the Taliban to change their stubborn behavior about the negotiations.

The quadrilateral process, in a series of meetings, has reached an understanding to take action against the irreconcilable elements, but Pakistan insisted that all available options must be exhausted before any action.

This is a logical approach as the use of force over

the past 15 years could not solve the Afghan problem.

The Taliban top negotiator, Sher Abbas Stanekzai, had listed certain measures ahead of joining the peace talks when he spoke at a non-government conference in Qatar in January that included the opening of their political office in Qatar, the release of prisoners, and the removal of international travel curbs on their leaders.

As peace and reconciliation is urgently required in

Afghanistan to end the years of conflict, the Afghan government and all stakeholders should work on some confidence building measures to bring the Taliban to the table. Endit