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ISTANBUL, Jan. 26 (Dawn) - Afghanistan's neighbours and Turkey Tuesday backed President Hamid Karzai's plan to offer incentives to Taliban fighters to make them lay down arms, in a joint statement issued after talks here.
“We... support the Afghan national process of reconciliation and reintegration in accordance with the constitution of Afghanistan in a way that is Afghan-led and -driven,” the statement said.
The talks were attended by Karzai, his counterparts from Pakistan and Turkey as well as senior officials from Iran, China, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
“Those Taliban who were not part of terrorist networks or al Qaeda are the sons of the Afghan soil,” Karzai told reporters.
“They are thousands and thousands and thousands and they have to be reintegrated.”
The Afghan leader's plan is aimed at bringing low- and mid-level fighters into mainstream society to end the gruelling insurgency in the country but the leadership of Islamist militant groups remain hostile to negotiations.
The strategy, based on money and job offers to Taliban fighters to encourage them to lay down arms, is expected to win Western support at a major conference in London on Thursday.
On Monday, Karzai also said he would make a statement at the London conference asking for Taliban names to be removed from a UN blacklist.
