Pakistan, Afghanistan in covert talks to resolve differences

With the help of United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan are working silently through back channel diplomacy to put their strained relations back on track and resume the stalled process of formal negotiations on the proposed ‘strategic partnership agreement’ between Islamabad and Kabul, as well as the Afghanistan reconciliation process.

Afghanistan blames Pakistan for creating hurdles in the Afghan reconciliation process by advocating talks between all Afghan groups and the Mullah Omar-led Taliban and by also halting the release of Taliban detainees from Pakistani prisons.

A few months ago, Pakistan released around two dozen Taliban detainees and said the remaining prisoners would be set free in phases.

But the Afghan government kept pushing for the immediate release of Taliban detainees, including the number two Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Afghan authorities have also been angry over some military constructions reportedly done by Islamabad along the Pak-Afghan border, but officials in Islamabad say Pakistan has not engaged in any border violations and Kabul’s allegations are unfounded.

Officials in Kabul allege that for facilitating the Afghan reconciliation process, Islamabad has asked for acceptance of certain conditions, one of which is Afghanistan limiting its relations with India and immediately signing a strategic partnership with Pakistan.

Pakistani officials, nonetheless, reject the allegations, saying they are committed, as ever, to work for the success of peace efforts in Afghanistan.

The officials say the series of allegations by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other officials in Kabul against Islamabad can harm the bilateral relations and also cast negative impact of efforts aimed at the success of reconciliation process.

Disturbed by fresh feud between Islamabad and Kabul, the US and its key ally UK is trying hard for a patch up between the two key states in counter-terrorism global campaign.

“These diplomatic efforts by US have led to some melting of ice in Islamabad and Kabul and now both sides are back to negotiations, though through back channel diplomacy, to iron out their differences on various matters,” a diplomatic source said, seeking anonymity.

He said talks between Islamabad and Kabul through back channel were likely to lead to formal contacts between the two states and some visits of concerned officials were also likely to take place.

He said once the formal talks were resumed, they would lead to negotiations on the proposed strategic partnership agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan and also on ways and means to proceed forward with efforts to bring the Taliban to the table of negotiations.

Another Pakistani official expressed his ignorance about the back channel talks between Islamabad and Kabul, but said Pakistan was committed to peace and security in Afghanistan.

“We want a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan, which clearly reflects the strong desire in Islamabad for strengthening relations with Kabul and any allegation that we are trying to create hurdles in the Afghan reconciliation process is baseless,” he said.