ISLAMABAD: As the endgame in Afghanistan draws near, strategists in Islamabad have decided in principle to remain closely aligned with the Afghan Pashtuns instead of seeking new allies.
“Retaining ties with the Pashtuns is a crucial security imperative for us,” a senior Pakistani official claimed a day before Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Zalmai Rassoul is to travel to Islamabad.
The travel will over discussing various possibilities with his Pakistani interlocutors on furthering the political process in war-ravaged Afghanistan.
Rassoul, besides holding talks with his counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, will meet a number of other Pakistani leaders.
Other proposals being pushed by Pakistan include a ceasefire as a confidence-building measure for the desired political process and holding the 2014 presidential elections as part of reconciliation.
Islamabad cast its first card in the Afghan reconciliation game earlier this month by releasing a batch of almost a dozen mid-ranking Taliban detainees during Afghan High Peace Council’s visit to Pakistan.
“It appears as if everyone’s rushing to the exit and, therefore, we need to play our cards wisely to protect our own interests and pre-empt the 1989-like situation,” the official said.
Among various scenarios being projected by Pakistani think-tanks about the post-2014 Afghanistan, the only one that suits Pakistan is a successful reconciliation process.
It is feared that Pakistan would have to bear the fallout of instability in Afghanistan, if not addressed, including a likely influx of refugees, continued violence in the country, particularly in tribal areas, and aggravation of economic conditions.
Islamabad had for a couple of years tried to reach out to elements of the erstwhile Northern Alliance, but with limited success because of deep-seated mistrust on both sides.
Internews
