Germany wants Pakistan to reopen the NATO supply routes to Afghanistan through its border as early as possible and it believes that vital decisions taken by Islamabad in the recent past, including the boycott of the Bonn Conference, in the wake of NATO airstrikes on its border posts last year were a major mistake.This was the clear and plain message conveyed to Pakistan’s civilian and military leaders by Germany’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Michael Steiner on Thursday.
German envoy, whose country is playing a vital role for the success of recently launched US-Taliban talks, also urged Pakistani leadership to play an active of a facilitator for its success, according to diplomatic sources familiar with his interaction with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, army chief General Ashfaq Kayani, ISI chief Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir. The German envoy’s meetings with Pakistani leaders are said to be very positive and all issues of mutual interest with focus on Afghanistan were discussed in a frank and candid manner. Ambassador Michael Steiner was of the view that it was not in Pakistan’s interests to adhere to its decision of not opening the NATO supply routes. He stated it would hurt all the allies in counterterrorism global campaign, along with Islamabad.
Germany, according to insiders, strongly believes that the Bonn Conference boycott was Pakistan’s big mistake, but the German envoy assured Pakistani leaders during his meetings that Islamabad’s absence did not hurt its interests at all. He also stressed upon the need of Pakistan taking clear position on important issues such as dialogue with the Taliban on part of US and also to work for the success of Afghan reconciliation process. The German official also admitted that there was a deep mistrust between Pakistan and its western allies in the counterterrorism alliance in the wake of November airstrikes by NATO on Pakistani border posts.
He, nonetheless, told Pakistani leaders that the mistrust could be removed as there was still some credit available between Islamabad and its allied nations. Pakistani leaders also complained about what he dubbed irresponsible statements by their western allies, such as the recent leaked report on NATO, which claimed that Pakistan was supporting the Afghan Taliban in their fight against the US-led international forces. The German official observed that such statements should be avoided but he also held the view that sometimes it was unavoidable to take clear position on certain important matters.
