London calling
Pak-Afghan relations have of late touched a new low. The spate of attacks in major cities of Pakistan forced security agencies to seal crossing points between the two countries for an indefinite period of time. This is of course much more detrimental to the Afghans considering the flow of people and trade from their side.
Border closure, like many other issues between the neighbouring countries, is the by-product of terrorism in both countries. The solution therefore is to support each other in the fight against terrorism rather than play the perpetual blame game of inaction against terrorists after every incident.
High-level talks were hosted yesterday by the British National Security Advisor (NSA), Mark Lyall Grant, in London to ease the current tensions with the Afghan NSA and Ambassador to Pakistan and Sartaj Aziz representing Pakistan in attendance. The UK’s efforts are welcome but they highlight the fact that the Pak-Afghan trust deficit is still very much there due to which they cannot meet in the absences of a broker from a third country.
Both sides will have to recede to a certain degree in order to make any talks meaningful, otherwise a deadlock will remain. Pakistan should consider opening the border only if Afghanistan and the US-led troops there can also do their part and take measures to stop terrorist attacks in Pakistan from their side.
On the other hand Afghanistan has to realise that both Russia and China can help them in reaching a workable solution to the Taliban problem. Taking offence to Russia’s offer to bring the Taliban to the talking table does not allow the dialogue process to advance especially when the Taliban themselves have no objection to a Russian/Chinese mediated dialogue.
The terrorism problem is a long and tiring fight and can only be won if Pakistan and Afghanistan, being the worst affected by it, realise sooner than later that working together rather than against each other is the only way forward.