In order to discuss and come up with solution to the challenges faced by the region, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and Tajikistan held a quartate meeting at the latter’s capital and took appraisal of the issues at hands.
Earlier during their meeting at Shanghai, China, the four heads of the states were of the view that cooperation was the only way forward and decided to give continuity to the quartate meeting that was held in Russia the previous year wherein the regional situation was reviewed and joint efforts on the part of countries concerned were brought to the fore in this regard.
In the current quartate meeting at Tajikistan, where President Imam Ali Rahmanov invited Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, issues related to Afghanistan were discussed for possible solution. Afghan officials on the occasion said that their point of view in the wake of withdrawal of American forces or stationing of some of American Army after 2014 in Afghanistan will be highlighted in the meeting and further said that discussion regarding oil and gas pipeline from Tajikistan and other Central Asian States would take place in the meeting as the extension of gas pipeline from Central Asia to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India was considered to be of great importance these days.
Analysts were focused and it was agreed in the meeting that a written agreement would also be pondered to take up a joint strategy with America regarding its presence in Afghanistan. Neighbouring countries of Afghanistan are apprehensive of the fact that a longer stay of foreign forces would not only prove harmful for Afghanistan but could be dangerous for the neighbouring countries as well.
Expert on Afghan affairs in the American Congress, Nancy Pelosi, used to say till 2008 that the ‘war’ had been won; but in the month of July in 2011 – wherein 23 American Special Forces personnel were killed when a Chinook Helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan – is now of the point of view that perhaps ‘war’ in Afghanistan could be stretched further.
There should be talks of fetching peace and mending ways in Afghanistan instead of building upon the already failing strategies or other things that are not helpful for creating peace in the region and both Afghan authorities and Americans along with the Taliban should take the opportunity and should work to this end. There is a need to understand that joint negotiations that include all concerned quarters and neighbouring countries may be the last resort to end militancy in the region.
–Translated from the original Pashto by Abdur Rauf Khattak