A leaked draft of the High Peace Council's roadmap to 2015, first reported by McClatchy Newspapers, outlines the negotiation and peace process with Taliban and other militant groups. The recent development from release of Taliban prisoners by Pakistan to their official confirmation of participation in a Paris conference shows optimistic progress. Below is full text of the draft for Outlook readers. Next op-ed will include my commentary on it.

A. Afghanistan's Vision by 2015

By 2015, Taliban, Hizb-e-Islami and other armed groups will have given up armed opposition, transformed from military entities into political groups, and are actively participating in the country's political and constitutional process, including national elections. Afghanistan's political system remains inclusive, democratic and equitable, where all political actors co-exist and promote their political goals and aspirations peacefully under the Constitution.

NATO/ISAF forces will have departed from Afghanistan, leaving the ANSF as the only legitimate armed forces delivering security and protection to the Afghan population.

THE ROADMAP – STEPS AND TIMELINE:

Consistent with the aspirations of the Afghan people, and the recommendations of the two Loya Jirgas of July 2010 and November 2011, this Peace Process Roadmap to 2015, hereinafter 'Roadmap 2015', lays out Afghanistan's plan for achieving a peaceful resolution of the conflict involving the Taliban and other armed opposition groups. The Roadmap 2015 consists of the five-step process, each step containing specific goals and timelines, as follows:

I. Step One (by end of March 2012) is to continue strengthen support behind the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, with a focus on securing the collaboration of Pakistan, as well as support from other regional and international counties behind this Roadmap. In this step:

1. HPC Chairman, Mr. Salahuddin Rabbani, to travel to Pakistan in the second week of November to enlist Pakistan's collaboration behind this Roadmap. The HPC expects that Pakistan will show its commitment by taking a number of practical actions, including:

• Putting a complete end to cross-border shelling of Afghan villages and ensure that these incidents are not repeated;

• Releasing identified Taliban detainees held in Pakistani prisons to Afghanistan or to any third country in support of confidence building measures;

• Using its concerns to encourage the Taliban to announce that it is cutting ties with Al-Qaeda;

• Sharing its concerns and expectations with the Afghan Government explicitly; and

• Recommitting to work with Afghanistan and the US on finalization of modalities for safe passage.

2. Afghanistan and Pakistan to hold follow up meetings bilaterally or trilaterally involving other countries with a role in the peace process, including Turkey (December 2012), Saudi Arabia, US (in Core Group format) and the UK (FM trilateral format).

II. Step Two (during the first half of 2013) is to help build momentum in the peace process by undertaking confidence building measures, as well as taking concrete steps to initiate a formal process of direct negotiations. In this step:

1. Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US (through the Core Group) to agree on terms and conditions for delisting, safe passage and other requirements of Taliban leaders willing to engage in peace talks.

2. Pakistan to facilitate direct contact between the HPC/Government of Afghanistan and identified leaders of the Taliban and other armed opposition groups.

3. Afghanistan and Pakistan to enable cooperation between religious leaders of both countries and the Islamic world to counter the influence of illegitimate centers of Fatwa that promote hatred, extremism and violence in both countries.

4. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the US to explore and agree terms for initiating direct peace talks between the HPC/Government of Afghanistan with Taliban and other Afghan armed groups with a focus on Saudi Arabia as the venue.

5. Measures on safe passage to be implemented by all countries in relation to those individuals who will participate in peace talks.

6. The US, the UN and other international partners to support the delisting of identified Taliban and other armed opposition leaders from the UN 1988 Sanctions List.

III. Step Three (during the second half of 2013) is to facilitate and launch formal direct negotiations between the HPC/Government of Afghanistan and authorized and verifiable representatives of the Taliban and other armed opposition groups, preferably through one consistent and coherent channel, with the aim of securing agreements on priority issues, such as ending violence, allowing space for provision of basic public services e.g. education, humanitarian aid, and securing the conduct of the upcoming elections. In this step:

1. The negotiating parties (Afghan Government and the Taliban/armed opposition) to agree on a ceasefire to ensure the safety and security of Afghan public.

2. The negotiating parties to agree on modalities for the release of Taliban prisoners in return for their agreement to disengage and renounce violence.

3. The negotiating parties to agree on creating immediate space for education and humanitarian and development aid and public services.

4. The negotiating parties to reach understanding on issues related to security and the withdrawal of international forces.

5. The negotiating parties to agree on modalities of cooperation in the run-up to Afghanistan’s presidential, provincial council and parliamentary elections, including options for Taliban’s and other armed opposition’s participation in the elections.

6. The negotiating parties to agree on modalities of co-operation on transformation of the Taliban and other armed groups from militant groups to political movements.

7. The negotiating parties to agree on modalities for the inclusion of Taliban and other armed opposition leaders in the power structure of the state, to include non-elected positions at different levels with due consideration of legal and governance principles.

8. The negotiating parties to agree on the modality for integration of the rank and file of the Taliban and other armed opposition groups in the Afghan society.

9. The negotiating parties to agree on a vision for strengthening the ANSF and other key government institutions to remain nonpolitical and enjoy full public support.

IV. Step Four (during the first half of 2014) is to consolidate the outcomes and agreements achieved as a result of direct negotiations between the Afghan Government, the Taliban and other armed opposition groups, and to secure a peaceful end to the conflict. In this step:

1. Afghanistan to mobilize broader and popular support behind the peace process and its outcomes to ensure its sustainability and prevent any future recurrence of violence

2. The Afghan government, the Taliban and other relevant actors, to put in place measures to ensure the implementation of agreements achieved in the peace talks.

3. Afghanistan to ensure the longer term safety and security of former Taliban and other armed opposition leaders.

4. Afghanistan and Pakistan to monitor and prevent any entity from interfering and promoting violence in Afghanistan.

5. The international community, notably regional countries, the US, to support Afghanistan in the implementation of the agreements, and its efforts to consolidate peace and stability.

V. Step Five (by 2015) is to expand regional and international cooperation in areas that are crucial for sustaining long-term security and stability of Afghanistan and the region. In this step:

1. Afghanistan and Pakistan to agree and implement a plan for the safe, voluntary and orderly return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan with support from the international community.

2. Afghanistan and Pakistan, with support from the international community, to continue cooperation in the fight against Al Qaeda, as well as in countering any other groups that may endanger the security of either or both countries.

3. The international community and the Afghan government to deliver on their commitments made in Bonn II, Chicago summit and Tokyo conference in support of peace and stability in Afghanistan throughout the transformation decade (2015-2024).

B. PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE PEACE PROCESS

Any outcome of the peace process must respect the Afghan Constitution and must not jeopardize the rights and freedoms that the citizens of Afghanistan, both men and women, enjoy under the Constitution. As part of the negotiated outcome, the Taliban and other armed opposition groups must cut ties with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, and verifiably renounce violence. Negotiating parties must strive for an outcome that is acceptable to the Afghan people, and that serves the genuine national interest of Afghanistan as a sovereign, Islamic country. The peace process and its outcome which would reflect the aspirations of the Afghan people should be facilitated and supported by regional and international countries.