Afghan Presidential hopefuls seek good ties with Pakistan

The three front-runners have avoided Pakistan-bashing in speeches

ISLAMABAD:

President Hamid Karzai and his close aides have been hurling serious accusations on Pakistan in recent weeks following deadly attacks mounted by Taliban; however, potential presidential hopefuls vowed to have good neighbourly relations with Pakistan during election campaign.

The three front-runners avoided Pakistan-bashing in speeches at largely-attended election rallies in main cities and live TV debates, some correspondents who covered the campaign told The Express Tribune from Kabul by the phone.

They said the candidates mainly focused on internal issues but touched relations with neighbours and particularly with Pakistan in public meetings. However, in TV debates they referred to the importance of relationship with Pakistan.

Afghan political analysts and journalists say Afghans believe good relations with Pakistan are a must for peace and reconciliation process as well as economic development. They argue Pakistan also needs trade access to Central Asia and that is impossible without friendly relationship with Afghanistan.



“Both countries are inter-linked and they could solve problems when they have tensions-free relations,” a senior Afghan journalist, Nematullah Kariab told The Express Tribune from eastern Kunar province on Wednesday.

Former finance minister and one of the leading candidates, Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmedzai, underscored the need for close relations with Pakistan and vowed to make the Khost and Kandahar provinces, bordering Pakistan, transit trade centres. He also vowed that he would implement the multi-billion dollars Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, known as Tapi.

“The two countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan) must achieve the level of cooperation France and Germany reached after the Second World War,” Ahmedzai said at a Tolo TV debate. He said he was happy that Pakistan has concluded that its own stability is interlinked with Afghanistan.

Another front-runner Dr Rasoul, who has served as a foreign minister in Karzai’s cabinet and also as his national security adviser, describes relations with Pakistan as a very significant foreign policy issue. He told the BBC Pashto radio in Kabul that if elected to power, he would order a review of relations between the two countries and maintain a relationship based on mutual respect of each other’s sovereignty.

“If there is no peace in Afghanistan, there will be no peace in Pakistan. I will be willing to work with Pakistan to counter the challenges of terrorism and extremism faced by it,” he said.

The issue of the Durand Line also came under debate during the election campaign; however the tone of the candidate was not traditionally harsh like in the past. Pakistan considers the issue of about 2,640-kilometre border between the two countries – known as the Durand Line – as a closed chapter; however, Afghan leaders insist the people will decide its fate.

“We must not turn the issue into a matter of dispute and conflict,” Dr Abdullah Abdullah, another potential candidate and former foreign minister, said when asked about his take on the Durand Line during a TV debate.

Ghani is also cautious on the issue and has avoided saying anything controversial in a video released as part of his election campaign. “I am hopeful that the people on both sides will resolve the issue with consensus,” he stated.

The Northern Alliance, which has traditionally been critical of Pakistan, also has a logical approach on the border issue. Ahmad Zia Masood, who is now a vice-presidential candidate with Zalmai Rasoul, wants an amicable solution to the issue.

“The people of Afghanistan want to have a border that is recognised internationally,” he was quoted by a section of the Afghan media at a recent speech.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2014.