A worrisome move
US has set up trilateral talks regarding Afghanistan that include India but exclude Pakistan
There is no clarity at all as to how the trilateral talks would in any way contribute to ‘stability’ in Afghanistan. PHOTO: REUTERS
Considering that Pakistan has a long contiguous border with Afghanistan and is closely engaged diplomatically and in the fight against terrorism, it is strange indeed that the US has set up trilateral talks that include India but exclude Pakistan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session later this month. Stranger still is the remark by US Secretary of State John Kerry who said his hope was that “Pakistan as a country is not isolated by this but encouraged by this”. Mr Kerry usually gives the impression that he is on the same planet as the rest of humanity, but the trick seems to have eluded him on this occasion. It is difficult to see what dots he is seeking to join given that India has no engagement with Afghanistan beyond huge investment in infrastructure projects and a desire to be in any energy loop that may include Afghanistan. India is energy-hungry and there are a number of projects that tap into the vast reserves of natural gas and oil in Central Asia that it would wish to have a finger in.
There is no clarity at all as to how the trilateral talks would in any way contribute to ‘stability’ in Afghanistan. They do not include any of the various iterations of the Taliban so far as is known though they will certainly be aware of them, and India has no known linkages with any of the Taliban groups at a formal level though it must be assumed they have back-channel contacts. Understandably, Pakistan has questioned the motives behind these talks with the Foreign Office saying that it is not sure what they hope to achieve, what the agenda is or the status of the talks. It is difficult to believe that the Foreign Office is going to feel anything other than marginalised and out of the loop, and equally difficult to see what India can bring to the table in terms of creating regional harmony or lessening the ongoing conflicts inside Afghanistan. Indeed, some may see this as a calculated snub. Whatever it may be, this looks like a misstep by Mr Kerry.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2016.
There is no clarity at all as to how the trilateral talks would in any way contribute to ‘stability’ in Afghanistan. They do not include any of the various iterations of the Taliban so far as is known though they will certainly be aware of them, and India has no known linkages with any of the Taliban groups at a formal level though it must be assumed they have back-channel contacts. Understandably, Pakistan has questioned the motives behind these talks with the Foreign Office saying that it is not sure what they hope to achieve, what the agenda is or the status of the talks. It is difficult to believe that the Foreign Office is going to feel anything other than marginalised and out of the loop, and equally difficult to see what India can bring to the table in terms of creating regional harmony or lessening the ongoing conflicts inside Afghanistan. Indeed, some may see this as a calculated snub. Whatever it may be, this looks like a misstep by Mr Kerry.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2016.