Pakistan drops opposition to India’s participation at Ankara moot

Conference to focus on regional security and development issues.

ISLAMABAD:

In a surprising move, Pakistan has withdrawn its opposition to India’s participation in a preparatory conclave on the security and reconstruction of Afghanistan to be held in Ankara next month.

“Senior officials within the administration have advised the foreign ministry not to oppose India’s participation in the conference,” said an official source speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The foreign ministry had earlier told Turkey that Islamabad would not attend the conference if India was also invited. “Our civilian establishment is gradually digesting the idea of consulting India on regional issues,” said one high-ranking source.

Foreign policy experts confirm this change in the government’s policy towards India.

“There is a visible change in Pakistan’s attitude towards India on regional issues,” said Simbal Khan, Director of Afghanistan and Central Asia at the Institute of Strategic Studies. “Our attitude is softening.” Khan endorses this change. “If we can talk to India on other issues with a regional approach, there should be no harm in talking to it on the Afghan issue,” she added. “We should keep in mind that India is the fifth largest donor to Afghanistan.”

The Ankara conclave will chalk out a comprehensive plan for the International Conference of Foreign Ministers on Afghanistan scheduled to be held in Bonn in December 2011. More than 1,000 delegates from 90 countries, including Pakistan and India, are invited to the conference. Attendees will include Afghan President Hamid Karzai, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the UN Secretary-General.

The conference will focus on three main areas: the transfer of security responsibility to the Afghan government by 2014, further international commitment to Afghanistan after the handover, and the political process, including national reconciliation and the integration of former Taliban.

Pakistan suspects that Indian intelligence agencies in collusion with their Afghan counterparts were destabilising its border regions, especially Balochistan and the tribal belt.

But Khan said, “Karzai had addressed Pakistan’s concerns over India’s role in Afghanistan. He removed top officials of the Afghan spy agency who were considered to be close to India.”

She added “The United States has also taken Pakistan’s concerns over the Indian role in Afghanistan.”



Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2011.