Gen Kayani makes Afghan peace ‘top priority’

By
Umar.Saleem
-
16
210

Pakistan’s army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, has made reconciling warring factions in Afghanistan a top priority, military officials and Western diplomats say, the newest and clearest sign yet that Islamabad means business in promoting peace with the Taliban. General Ashfaq Kayani is backing dialogue partly due to fears that the end of the US combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014 could energise a resilient insurgency straddling the shared frontier, according to commanders deployed in the region. “There was a time when we used to think we were the masters of Afghanistan. Now we just want them to be masters of themselves so we can concentrate on our own problems,” said a senior Pakistani military officer stationed in South Waziristan, an Indian TV channel quoting a UK news agency said. “Pakistan has the power to create the environment in which a grand reconciliation in Afghanistan can take place,” he said, speaking in the gritty town of Wana, about 30kms from Afghanistan.
“We have to rise to the challenge. And we are doing it, at the highest level possible.” On December 7, Kayani hammered home his determination to support a negotiated end to the war in Afghanistan at a meeting of top commanders at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. “He (Kayani) said Afghan reconciliation is our top priority,” said a Pakistani intelligence official, who was briefed about the meeting. Major progress with Kayani’s help could enable.
US President Barack Obama to say his administration managed to sway Pakistan – often seen as an unreliable ally – to help achieve a top US foreign policy goal. Afghan officials question whether Kayani genuinely supports the dialogue, or is merely making token moves to deflect Western criticism of Pakistan. Relations between Taliban commanders and Pakistan’s security establishment have increasingly been poisoned by mistrust, however, raising questions over whether Kayani’s spymasters wield enough influence to nudge them towards the table.
Nevertheless, diplomats in Islamabad argue that Pakistan has begun to show markedly greater enthusiasm for Western-backed attempts to engage with Taliban leaders. Western diplomats, who for years were sceptical about Pakistani promises, say Islamabad is serious about promoting stability in Afghanistan.
“They seem to genuinely want to move towards a political solution,” said an official from an EU country. “We’ve seen a real shift in their game-plan at every level. Everyone involved seems to want to get something going.” Kayani, a career soldier who assumed command of the army in 2007, has been a key interlocutor with Washington during one of the most turbulent chapters in US-Pakistan relations. Arguably Pakistan’s most powerful man, he has earned a reputation as a thoughtful commander who has curbed the military’s tendency to meddle overtly in politics.
With Kayani’s support, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has held repeated rounds of discussions with Afghan counterparts, and in November Pakistan released more than a dozen Taliban prisoners. The move aimed to reassure the Afghan government and Pakistan’s allies of Islamabad’s good faith and telegraph to the Taliban that Pakistan is serious about facilitating talks. “There is a change in political mindset and will on the Pakistani side,” Salahuddin Rabbani, the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council said. “We have reason to be cautiously optimistic.” Kayani flew to Kabul last month for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and accompanied Khar on a visit to Brussels to meet top NATO and US officials in early December.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

16 COMMENTS

  5. This uniform duffer all time forgets that he is 3 year extended COAS of Islamic republic of Pakistan that daily comes under attack via drones, terrorism or target killings.he is not in mood of listening what is happening in Karachi and Baluchistan on daily basis under his forces name as FC and rangers.he had no information that Silala bases bombed for more than 2 hours, lies with in Pakistan but no doubt all time concerned with Afghanistan.

      • what kind of balance d comments you looking for this duffer and shameless general of Pakistan .Pakistani is going to be ditched in coming days and Nero is enjoying music under state privileges.

  13. Oh thats great Nazia i appreciate you because thsi persons is not good this person can kick Zardari in past five years but he did not do this because of Money he did wrong with 18 crore Pakistani People

Comments are closed.