- From euphoria to appreciation of ground realities
Revelling in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s successful US visit, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi has claimed that the PTI government has attained “immense success” in turning an unfavourable atmosphere in the Pakistan-US relationship into a favourable one. Conceding that the PM succeeded in establishing a rapport with the US President, there is a need to realise that with the kind of expectations being entertained by President Trump it would be a hard task to keep him sweet. It must not be forgotten either that the bureaucracy in Washington does not harbour a very favourable view of Pakistan.
American casualties have increased in Afghanistan from 13 last year to at least 14 in the last seven months alone. Despite the ongoing talks between the Afghan Taliban and the Khalilzad-led US team there is yet no let up to the terrorist attacks. On the first day of the Afghan presidential campaign on July 18, 20 people died in a terrorist attack targeting the Kabul office of President Ghani’s running mate for the office of the Vice President. Pakistan faces an uphill task persuading the Taliban to announce a ceasefire and hold talks with the government in Kabul as desired by the USA. What is more the USA expects the task to be completed apace as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wants more of the US troops to be evacuated before November 2020. It’s ironic that while Pakistan is trying to intercede between the Taliban and the government, neither is bothered about stopping the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan elements from launching attacks on Pakistan’s army from Afghan soil.
Keeping an unpredictable President pleased is not an easy assignment. It would therefore be premature to claim that PM Imran Khan’s US visit was an “immense success.” While Pakistan is still meditating over inviting the Afghan Taliban for talks, State Department has reminded it that besides other things the PM had vowed to urge the Taliban to negotiate with the Afghan government and that it’s time to make progress on the success of Trump-Imran meeting.
Shah Mahmud Qureshi would do well to spend time holding talks with the State Department bureaucracy to convince it of both Pakistan’s sincerity and its limitations in bringing the Taliban round.