Peace prospects in Afghanistan
The realisation that some sort of understanding was needed with the Afghan Taliban before the NATO troops pull out has led the US to hold direct talks with the religious militia. The Taliban were unwilling to talk to Karzai who they considered no more than a US puppet. The religious militia was therefore keen to open their office in Qatar to hold talks directly with the US and other countries. The liaison office was formally opened on Tuesday when the NATO handed over security for the entire country to Afghan forces. Initial talks would reportedly be held on Thursday. While the development is to be welcomed, the road to the settlement is going to be bumpy as a cautious Obama has observed.
Peace in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s supreme interest. The gas and power from Central Asia that the country needs badly can only reach its cities if the ongoing insurgency is brought to an end and a stable government capable of enforcing its writ in the country is in place. Stability in Afghanistan will encourage the 1.6 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan to return to their country. This would reduce social complications created by the presence of so many outsiders.
The office in Qatar will put an end to Taliban’s isolation. This is a positive development as it could make the religious militia respond to the concerns of the outside world. The Taliban government was keen to seek international recognition before it faced the US wrath in the wake of 9/11. Hopefully its leadership has leant lessons from its past mistakes. What initially imposed isolation on Taliban was their hardline policies regarding women and minorities. Despite the militia being in control of 90 percent area of the country, Pakistan’s attempts over years to seek international recognition for its government met with little success. The continued hosting of Al-Qeda chief Bin Laden finally led Saudi Arabia and UAE also to withdraw recognition. Thus Pakistan was the only country that still had diplomatic relations with the regime when Afghanistan was invaded by the US-led forces. While Taliban’s policy about women and minorities still remains unclear, the statement by its Qatar representatives that no one should be allowed to threaten other countries from Afghanistan’s soil gives one hope that the militia would not allow Al-Qaeda again to use the country as a launching pad. What should concern Pakistan most in days to come is the Taliban’s attitude to Pakistani militant groups which launch attacks inside Pakistan from the Afghan territory.
Pakistan should have good relations with whichever government comes to power in Afghanistan. The two countries have historical and ethnic ties that can bring them closer provided Afghanistan is treated with respect as a sovereign state on an equal footing with Pakistan. Condescending attitude that characterised the past has to be abandoned.