Afghan Reconciliation Process Should Not Confer Legitimacy To Insurgent Groups: India

New Delhi, June 22, IRNA -- Throwing its weight behind Afghanistan on the issue of Taliban opening a political office in Doha, India Friday said reconciliation process should not undermine legitimate Afghan government or confer legitimacy to insurgent groups. ˈThe reconciliation process should not seek to create equivalence between an internationally-recognized Afghan government and insurgent groups, confer legitimacy to insurgent groups or convey the impression of two competing state authorities for Afghanistan,ˈ Indiaˈs External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said here today. He said this ˈcould undermine the legitimate Afghan state, Afghan government and the political, social and economic progress witnessed in Afghanistan over the past decade, to which the international community itself has contributed in great measureˈ, pti reported. His remarks came at a time when Afghan President Hamid Karzai cancelled a proposed security dialogue with US, upset over the name of the Taliban office among others. When the Qatar office opened on Tuesday, it used the title of the rebelsˈ 1996-2001 government, the ˈIslamic Emirate of Afghanistanˈ and flew the white Taliban flag. Akbaruddin said India has followed developments relating to the opening of an office of the Taliban in Qatar and statements made by the representatives of that office and others. ˈThese statements reflect some confusion about the name of the Qatar office, its structure, its political and legal status, and its objectives,ˈ he said, adding the reaction of the Afghan government to these developments were also noted. ˈOur position is clear. Government of India has always called for a broad-based Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled reconciliation process, within the framework of the Afghan Constitution and the internationally-accepted red lines,ˈ he said. The spokesperson underlined that such a process would necessarily recognize the centrality of the Government of Afghanistan in the process, and involve all sections of the Afghan society as well as the insurgent groups, including the Taliban, who wish to join the mainstream. He said India remains committed to supporting the Afghan government and the people of Afghanistan, in accordance with the India-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement, and a reconciliation process that has the support of the government and the people of Afghanistan. India has cautioned Afghanistan over peace talks with the Taliban, saying the new initiative should not violate the ˈred linesˈ drawn up by the international community. ˈWe have from time to time reminded all stakeholders about the red lines that was drawn by the world community and certainly by the participants should not be touched, should not be erased and should not be violated,ˈ External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid had told reporters on Thursday in Baghdad./end