With the Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan slated for tomorrow (Wednesday) all set to give nod to the US plan for peace dialogue with the Taliban, Pakistan will try to impress upon the US and other participating nations for a “ceasefire” with the Mullah Omar-led insurgents, urging them that without this move there would be no headway in negotiations.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will lead Pakistan’s delegation at the conference. A day before the Istanbul conference, there will be a Pakistan-Afghanistan-Turkey summit for which President Asif Ali Zardari and Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani have already reached Turkey. “Reconciliation with the Taliban will be discussed in detail at the Istanbul conference and the trilateral summit between Pakistan-Afghanistan and Turkey. This vital issue will also be discussed in detail at a follow up conference on Afghanistan in Bonn on December 5,” said a Pakistani diplomat on Monday, requesting anonymity.
He said Foreign Minister Hina would be among the senior diplomats from 20 countries, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the Istanbul conference that was intended to map out Afghanistan’s future. “As the US and other western powers seek the help of Pakistan and other regional states for lasting peace in Afghanistan, Islamabad will tell Washington and its other allies that for durable peace in the war-torn country it is a must that a ceasefire is announced by US and NATO forces fighting against the Taliban, without which the Taliban will not engage in meaningful talks,” the diplomat said. Another Pakistani official said Pakistan would also talk about its reservations over the proposed draft of the declaration of Istanbul Conference, which contained a proposal to set up a “regional structure” for peace and stability in Afghanistan. He said the regional group envisaged in the proposal would include around a dozen states neighboring Afghanistan, such as India, along with the US. “Pakistan is particularly disturbed about the Indian role in Afghanistan and it raised that issue with the US during the recent visit of Secretary Clinton to Islamabad,” he said.
He said that Pakistan would urge all regional and international players at Istanbul conference to come up with unambiguous commitment about the sovereignty of Afghanistan. The official said it was our concern that some countries in the region would use Afghanistan to destabilise the region and further only their interests. He said that Pakistan was participating in the Istanbul conference because of its commitment to permanent peace and stability in Afghanistan, but at the same time it did not have much expectation from the conference owing to serious differences between the different regional and international players on important issues pertaining to the neighboring state.
I think any one, US in specific, would buy into Pak sale (except for Turkey maybe). No one is that stupid.
It is important to talk and not to brand a certain section of the Afghan population as sub- humans, demons, monsters etc.
Pakistan's position back in 1987 was as clear as it is today. Engage with them and de-escalate them.
Engagement is a lot more cost effective in the medium to long term. Invest in the welfare of these people, provide them health, education and security. The children of today's angry Taliban ( meaning students) will be tomorrow's friendly members of a respectable Afghan nation.
But all this requires a lot of patience and long term engagement. It has to be done. There is no alternative.
How can you not brand the engagement between militants and Pak security establishment? The only investment either party care about is arms, cash and suicide-bombers (and the so called strategic depth).
Enough bloodshed and insanity on the part of the warmongering Neocons, Zionists and their associates in the US – who have even driven the economy of the US itself down the drain due to their vested interests! Time for sane voices like Dr. Ron Paul to take over from the thugs in Washington!
But the first thing Ron Paul is going to do is eliminate foreign aid. Then he might also want to control remittances sent by Pak nationals, among others, back to their country. (Do you know the numbers?)
What would Pakistan do?
Why do the dubious members of our entire "establishment" (not blaming everybody here obviously :)) need to rely on foreign "aid" so much?! Are the Pakistanis really so corrupt and incompetent?! And as for the remittances, why would Dr. Paul cut those off if we actually have a Government/Establishment based on SANITY and merit for a change! Ciao!
Comments are closed.