Afghan President visit

The visit of Afghan president to Islamabad and discussion with Pakistan leadership is of immense importance keeping in view of the diplomatic efforts by the United States its NATO allies, Russia and China to clinch a political settlement for restoring peace and stability to the decades’ long war torn Afghanistan. The incumbent ruling political leadership in Pakistan has very intelligently and discreetly played its positive role for facilitating directs talks between the United States and the Taliban and is anxious about the holding and success of intra-Afghan dialogue. Afghan Peace Conference which was held in Murree on June 22 is a significant step in this direction. The region cannot afford once again the situation identical to or possibly worse than the post Soviet troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan after the Geneva Accord in 1989.

The myopic ruling leadership in Pakistan at that time did not make serious diplomatic efforts from the platform of the United Nations in consultation with two super power guarantors of the Geneva Accord  for a political settlement between the sitting Dr. Najbeeb Ullah regime in Kabul and Afghan Tanzimat. Hence the diplomacy of UN special representative on Afghanistan, Benon Sevan could not produce positive results.

The future ruling set up in Kabul must have the representation of all political groups inside Afghanistan. The Taliban leadership insistence on the US-NATO troops’ withdrawal timetable before a broadbase political settlement runs against the ground realities inside Afghanistan. The strategic dynamics inside Afghanistan have changed after the entry of ISIS which has currently 15000 battle hardened fighters. At this point of time, the statement of NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg that the alliance will maintain its presence in Afghanistan till 2024 by providing financial assistance to Afghan Security Forces is quite reassuring. It reflects the keenness of world powers to contribute to the restoration of peace and stability inside Afghanistan.

The entry of ISIS in the Afghan war theater and the swelling number of its fighters to over 10000 depicts a grim future scenario as a unilateral withdrawal of US-NATO forces from Afghanistan will set the stage for next round of more dangerous civil war. It may make Afghanistan a battle ground for the clash and solace of several forces on its soil. That is why the neighbouring country Iran, which has cultivated friendly relations with the Taliban while preserving it traditional links with components of Northern Alliance, is opposed to giving dominant role to the Taliban in the future setup in Kabul. Iran’s Foreign Minister Jawd Zarif in an interview with Indian TV Channel NDTV during his visit of New Delhi in January openly disapproved lead role for the Taliban in future government in Afghanistan. The Taliban leadership must realise the changing ground realities inside Afghanistan and should not visualize that they are the only political force to be reckoned with for future ruling set up in Kabul.

Russia is worried about the spillover effect of ISIS (Daesh) to the Central Asian and even mainland Russia. In a skillful diplomatic move Moscow hosted second international peace conference on Afghanistan in November last year. It drew delegates from the incumbent government in Kabul, senior officials from the Central Asian Countries and the US. Opening the conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov eulogized the participation of Afghan leaders and representatives of the Taliban and described the moot as harbinger for creating favourable condition for direct intra-Afghan talks. He cautioned against the threat posed by ISIS in Afghanistan and alleged that this terrorist organisation has relied on foreign sponsors in a bid to turn Afghanistan into a springboard for its expansion in Central Asia. The present ruling leadership in Pakistan is fully cognizant of threat of this terrorist organisation to peace and stability of this region and the government has embarked upon a proactive diplomacy to facilitate a political settlement of Afghan conflict acceptable to all stakeholders.

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