(Afghan peace council head)Rabbani to visit India with 15-member delegation

ejazr

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Rabbani to visit India with 15-member delegation - Indian Express

Burhanuddin Rabbani, head of Afghanistan government's peace council negotiating with Taliban, is expected to visit India for comprehensive talks with the Indian government on Thursday, sources told The Indian Express on Tuesday. Rabbani, who has been heading the council since October last year, is expected to lead a 15-member delegation to India.

Sources said the former Afghanistan President is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday afternoon. New Delhi's initiative to host him and engage him was made when Singh had met him in Kabul in May this year.

Rabbani is expected to hold delegation-level talks with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, who will be accompanied by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and senior officials. He is also likely to meet Vice-President Hamid Ansari.

Sources said India will be keen to get a "first-hand account" from Rabbani, who has become the main negotiator with Taliban groups.

They said New Delhi will be interested in the "details" of the talks between prominent Taliban leaders and the peace council members.

Officials pointed out that New Delhi's red-carpet for Rabbani, weeks after US President Barack Obama announced troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, is a sign of India's interest and stakes in the affairs in Afghanistan.

Rabbani was the leader of Jamiat-e Islami Afghanistan and also served as the political head of the United National and Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan (UNIFSA), an alliance of various political groups who fought against Taliban rule in Afghanistan. He served as President from 1992 to 1996 until he was forced to leave Kabul because of the Taliban takeover of the city.

His government was recognised by many countries, as well as the United Nations.
 

ejazr

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Need India's help in Taliban talks: Afghanistan - India News - IBNLive

New Delhi: In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN Secretary of the Afghan Peace Council Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai said Afghanistan wants India's support in the Taliban peace process.

A 15 member delegation from Afghanistan met External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Friday.

"Immediately when the transition starts you can't expect Taliban to give up violence- that would be simplistic. While you are negotiating and reaching out to the different warring groups we should not expect the fighting will end. It is a process," Stanikzai said.

Stanikzai said special measures will be taken to provide security to Indians working in Afghanistan.

"The Afghan security forces are gradually building up and they are taking more responsibility. In the areas where Indian investment or project will work, special measures will be taken to provide safety and security," Stanikzai said.

Stanikzai said the relation between India and Afghanistan is deep. The peace process is in the best interest of the Afghan people and the process will not be influenced by anyone.

"The relation between the two countries is deep and we came here to have their (Indian) support to the efforts and also to give confidence that what we are going in the peace process, it is in the interest of the Afghan people. This is an Afghan led process and they should not have any doubt, this process will not be under the influence of anybody else," Stanikzai said.

Stanikzai said talks are being held only with Afghans who have their own grievances and there will be no talks with the foreign terrorists.

"We are talking to the Afghans and the groups who are operating in the region, they are more complex, they are wider and they have different motives but our aim is not to talk to foreign terrorists who are linked with those elements. We are talking to Afghans who have their own grievances and we have to address their grievances, which will bring the Afghan people back together. In fact we want to shrink the space for the terrorist group so that they will not be able to use Afghans against Afghans," Stanikzai said.

When asked if he is worry about the return of Taliban to the Afghanistan when the US and other forces pullout, Stanikzai said, "We have to be very careful in terms of pullout because as the strategy is set now, we are confident of the process, the transition is a gradual process."

Stanikzai said there is a need to cooperate in order to bring peace and stability to the region.

"Today the number of suicide attacks happening in Pakistan is significantly increasing and that is the indication that there are more groups centered in the tribal areas and cities of Pakistan. It also highlights the realization that all the countries in the region, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries should cooperate," Stanikzai said.
 

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