But a lot still needs to be done
Important developments have taken place during the Heart of Asia Conference. A lot needs to be done by Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and the international community before the goals agreed upon during the Conference can be achieved.
A flurry of high level meetings between Pakistan and India paved way for the visit of Sushma Swaraj to Islamabad. It came as a happy surprise when Swaraj announced that the two countries had decided to initiate a comprehensive dialogue which would take up all the subjects included in the earlier composite dialogue along with other matters. This was the outcome of a positive U-turn on the part of Narendra Modi who was earlier unwilling to discuss any issue before addressing terrorism.
Strong lobbies in the countries opposed to peace will to try to find ways and means to sabotage the development. There is a need to initiate the comprehensive dialogue in totality at the earliest, ignoring those who oppose the inclusion of Kashmir in it as well as those who insist on “either Kashmir or nothing”. There has to be an understanding between the two countries to keep the dialogue process going irrespective of untoward incidents. Pakistan will have to reconsider its policy of not allowing India-Afghan trade through its territory. As Pakistan needs time to work out the problems in the way of opening the trade route, the issue could be included in the comprehensive dialogue.
Nawaz Sharif assured Ashraf Ghani that Pakistan considered the elected government under him as the only legitimate representative of the Afghan people and fully supported it against the terrorists. Further that he considered the enemies of Afghanistan as enemies of Pakistan. Ghani expects Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, make them accept the elected government and work alongside it to eliminate the insurgents. In case Taliban fail to do this, Ghani expects Pakistan to block their sources of funding, cut off their supplies of weapons and deny them havens in Pakistan. By agreeing to bring the Taliban to talks, Pakistan takes on a great responsibility.
