Islamabad pessimistic about upturn in ties with Kabul

Officials say plans to set up high-level bilateral mechanism have stalled

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan expects the current stalemate in its ties with Afghanistan to continue after recent efforts to repair the strained relationship received a lukewarm response from across the border, The Express Tribune has learnt from senior officials.

The decision by the two countries on June 24 to set up a high-level ‘bilateral mechanism’ to discuss matters related to border management and security renewed hopes the two neighbours would overcome the strains in their ties.



However, since then there has been no forward movement, said one official familiar with the development. Asking not to be identified because of the issue’s sensitivity, he told The Express Tribune that the two sides were supposed to formulate modalities for the mechanism in order to convene its maiden meeting. “But, the Afghan side has not yet given any date for this purpose,” the official said, admitting that Kabul does not appear serious about reengaging with Pakistan.

The plan to set up a bilateral mechanism headed by the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan was agreed upon last month after troops from the two countries clashed over the new border rules Islamabad started enforcing at Torkham.

At least one Pakistani officer was killed when Afghan border guards fired indiscriminately to stop authorities from building a gate at the key crossing point between the two countries.

Apart from agreeing on the bilateral mechanism, both sides also agreed to cease the blame game between the two in order to create a better atmosphere for discussions on other issues, said the official. However, Afghanistan, instead of honouring that commitment, once again resorted to accusing Pakistan.

Pakistan is particularly upset at the tirade launched by the Afghan leadership, including President Ashraf Ghani, who used his speech at a recent Nato summit to blame Islamabad for the mess in his country.



Ghani accused Pakistan of continuing to distinguish between ‘good and bad’ Taliban. Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah, who also attended the summit, made a similar charge by suggesting that “sanctuaries of terrorists still exist in the neighborhood.”

The campaign did not end there. Recently, the former Afghan intelligence chief accused Pakistan of conniving with the Haqqani network and the Afghan Taliban to mount attacks inside his country.

“This pattern shows that Afghanistan is not keen to engage with Pakistan,” said another official. He said Pakistan needs to look into this ‘change of behaviour’ more closely. “Are Afghan authorities doing it at the behest of some other regional and international forces,” asked the official, saying that Afghanistan could not go against Pakistan without the backing of ‘certain foreign forces’.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2016.