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Addressing concerns: Pakistan Army to train Afghan troops
The move was finalised as part of an agreement at a recent trilateral summit in Istanbul.
Pakistan’s army will train the Afghan National Army under an agreement signed at a recent trilateral summit in the Turkish city of Istanbul. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The administration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that Pakistan’s army will train the Afghan National Army under an agreement signed at a recent trilateral summit in the Turkish city of Istanbul, according to the BBC.
President Karzai met with his Turkish and Pakistani counterparts Abdullah Gul and Asif Ali Zardari ahead of a regional conference in Istanbul early this month.
Kabul-based BBC correspondent quoted Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson Janan Musazai as confirming that under the agreement the three countries will also hold joint military exercises. He, however, did not provide details of the agreement.
Pakistan, according to sources, has offered many times in the past its help in training the Afghan National Army but the proposal had not received a positive response earlier.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua has also hinted at supporting Musazai’s revelation. The Associated Press of Pakistan quoted her as saying that two memorandums of understandings (MoUs) were signed at the trilateral conference.
One of the MoUs, she said, was about joint military exercises while the other was about training the Afghan police. Pakistan, she explained, wants to see peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and is ready to support all efforts in this regard.
Last month, Afghanistan signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with India during President Karzai’s trip to New Delhi. And according to sources, India agreed, under this agreement, to train, equip and build capacity for Afghan security forces, including the army, besides a host of other things.
Pakistan has strong reservations about this agreement, though officially it said that the Indo-Afghan accord would have no bearings on Kabul-Islamabad relationship. President Karzai had also sought to address Pakistan’s concerns saying that “India is a great friend. Pakistan is a twin brother.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2011.
Reader Comments (24)
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Training Taliban and Afghan army, is this not a conflict of interest?
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Vienna,November 7,2011
Mind you, it is slightly inaccurate. Pakistani forces have to learn
a lot from Afghani soldiers.That is meant by joint excersises. A
joint operation in Pakistan is on to save the country from chaos.
Rejoice,thanks to the “slow burning war” like the slow burning intense
fire of basmati paddy husk mixed with coconut shell used by
gold and black smiths´ workshops.
Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring TTTMM India
–Kulamarva balakrishna
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Who know who is Taliban and who is Afghan Army trained by Pakistan & by India… All in all this whole thing looks very messed up and going to get more for this region.
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@John B. They are almost the same.Recommend
When Pakistan will participate that would work only no external role in Afghanistan would have any success…
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please be content with the role agreed, for there could be more opportunities, help US led ISAF get out and earn stability both for Afghanistan and Pakistan. World is knocking at our door with projects and ideas for development in its hand. stability and development are two major tools to defeat extremism, poverty and backwardness.
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NOW Peace is in sight for Pakistan & AfghanistanRecommend
Anyone noticed what a success this is btw? Or would Pakistanis be happier if India had been hired? Hopefully not that brain-washed!
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This has a distinct “oh just let them feel useful for once” feel to it. It’s kind of sad when you actually have to nag people to get them to let you help them.
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@MarkH:
Plz.get real…geograhy and ethnicity are just two of the reasons peace in Afghanistan would be illusory without Pakistan’s cooperation. Even after ten years of ruining the area you don’t get the message!
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@MarkH, Aren’t USA and Afghanistan begging Pakistan to bring Taliban to table for talks? ;) says a lot about the usefulness of Pakistan….oh and wasn’t it US nagging Pakistan to keep their military trainers in Pakistan?
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Since last 6 months, Pakistan Army’s (not the GOP’s) diplomacy has been ultra successful in bringing US to their terms rather than getting to US terms. Ever heard of the story with the moral “slow and steady wins the race”?
Finally, the mighty ISAF desperately needs to exit, with crumbling economies in US and Europe having three countries (Greece, Italy & Spain) getting ready to go bankrupt if not bailed out. What a shame. These people took 10 years to understand Afghanistan. Pakistan was threatened to be bombed to stone age. Pakistan was blamed to be a beggar nation. Have you ever compared Pakistan’s debt to the US debt?
Af-Pak is just a strange place guys! I would at least try to learn their language before any further adventure in their land!
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It is a good pacifier, Afghanistan already has agreement with India to train, equip and improve capacity of its forces. Training police is not a big deal where Pakistani police itself needs training. We can have a good deal if Pakistan military trains, equips and have close relations with Afghan military.
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@Kulamarva Balakrishna- please stop trolling on our news sites. What can we possibly learn from an army who only control 2-3 cities in an entire country and that after the presence of thousands of foreign troops
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Seems they took Musharraf’s whining to heart…
Never seen a nation push so hard wanting to train another nation’s troops, and be so upset when the offer is rejected….probably because the offer went to India…….Pak really do have like a US coldwar mindset when it comes to local region…..your interests better be aligned with ours, or else….
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Hay guys pak army is the best they have defeated the sovit and now is the the time of america., by their vast stratigic depth. Usa thinks that the sovit is 7 time bigger and pak army changed it into 7 pieces the what will be the condition of usa. Perrr. I cant stop when i thought abou this .wow love u pak army
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Train them! why? to see how they fight with us in future!
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The Afghans never lost a war and the Pakistanis never won one – so who should train whom?
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@Xyz:
Yeah, I’ll agree he is a bit of a bore :) – can’t stand the silly signature. But let’s not make fun of the Afghan army – they are suffering because of the proxy war that Pakistan is fighting. Why do you think there is so much reluctance to submit to Pak training? Is it just because India has made friends with Karzai (which is true btw). Your army and ISI have betrayed those poor people who share common ethnicity and religion with you – just in the cause of strategic depth, and this is something that the average Afghan will find it difficult to forgive.
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@Arindom:
on the basis of your criteria…afghans should train US…Russian and Indian army…
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@Xyz:
Are you talking about PAKISTAN by any chance?
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Pakistan army and police itself need trainng. if india or us is trainng Afghan army it make sense they have the best army in the world.
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@John B:
Do you have specific proof that Pakistan “trains” the taliban? At most, Pakistan uses, or used to use, the taliban for proxy wars. Get your facts straight. Furthermore, there is no personal benefit for pakistan that could arise from training the taliban. It isn’t a GOVERMENT policy. You’re nothing more than a conspiracy theoristRecommend
@antanu g:
Why? note that the Americans and the Russians won WW2 and India – all the wars with PAK. Indian Army was of course on the winning side in WW2!!!
So there!
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