Afghan media pessimistic over trilateral summit

Newspapers in Afghanistan were Tuesday pessimistic about a summit of President Hamid Karzai, Pakistan`s Asif Ali Zardari and Britain`s David Cameron aiming to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

Kabul: Newspapers in Afghanistan were Tuesday pessimistic about a summit of President Hamid Karzai, Pakistan`s Asif Ali Zardari and Britain`s David Cameron aiming to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

English daily The Afghanistan Express said in an editorial that the Afghan government was "struggling to find a way" to talk with the Taliban, Xinhua reported.

Though Karzai and Zardari agreed to spare no effort for cutting a peace deal within the next six months, the daily said: "The six-month time-frame for reaching a deal with Taliban seems to be too wishful, as the Taliban does not seem to be prepared for beginning talks with the government."

The Daily Mandegar newspaper wrote the summit "would benefit Taliban and Pakistan and not the peace process in Afghanistan".

"Like the past, benefiting from the so-called peace process, more Taliban will be released from Pakistani jails after the London summit and Pakistan would continue to support the Taliban in future," the daily said.

The Hasht-e-Subh newspaper also said no peace efforts will deliver unless the Pakistani military takes action against Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistani soil.

"If Britain wants to play its due role in developing cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, it should exert pressure on the Pakistan army to dismantle Taliban safe havens inside Pakistan," the Hasht-e-Subh said.

IANS

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.