Pakistan will for the first time, join an India-led initiative on Afghanistan. DNA news agency quoting sources said Pakistan is expected to participate at an ‘investors conference’ on Afghanistan that is likely to be held in New Delhi before July. The initiative to hold a regional investors conference on Afghanistan was announced on Tuesday by India and Afghanistan following their first Strategic Partnership Council meeting.
This development would signal a major shift in Pakistan’s approach towards India on Afghanistan, and signals that Islamabad is willing allow strategic space to India.Sources told DNA, the conference is expected to have participation from “other regional players”, “including Pakistan.” India and Pakistan have been having back channel talks on Afghanistan. This is however for the first time that the two countries have decided to talk in public about development and investment in Afghanistan that is looking at a drawdown of coalition forces in 2014.
