Principles of peace
Pakistan has again called upon the United States to abandon its “militaristic approach” in Afghanistan
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif. PHOTO: AFP / FILE
Pakistan has again called upon the United States to abandon its “militaristic approach” in Afghanistan owing to the futility of such an engagement and reopen negotiations with the Taliban in the interest of peace and reconciliation. Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated Islamabad’s longstanding stance on Afghanistan in a published interview. The remarks were made by the minister ahead of his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly’s 72nd session. Such an objective could be fulfilled if Washington agrees to work with those regional players that exercise clout over the Taliban.
This is perhaps the crux of Khawaja Asif’s message to the US and one that he will be sharing with the global community at the UN session. The foreign minister made it clear that Washington was making a monumental mistake by pursuing a strategy that has failed over the years – from US troop surges to the goal of nation building. That military force is not a solution in Afghanistan is understood by several regional players, including China, Turkey and Iran, and even UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has echoed their views and called for efforts towards devising a political solution. The UN chief believes it is possible for Kabul to invest in creating conditions for just such a solution. But nearly all sides accept even if a little grudgingly that Pakistan’s cooperation is vital to the effort to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan.
By treating a political settlement in Afghanistan as a secondary goal and placing its faith in a military campaign, the US may be losing important momentum for peace. With a little coaxing and plenty of back-channel manoeuvres, Islamabad could still lure the Taliban to the negotiating table. But the success of that effort would hinge greatly upon expanding the quartet previously involved in the process and squeezing out as many pledges for peace as possible.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2017.
This is perhaps the crux of Khawaja Asif’s message to the US and one that he will be sharing with the global community at the UN session. The foreign minister made it clear that Washington was making a monumental mistake by pursuing a strategy that has failed over the years – from US troop surges to the goal of nation building. That military force is not a solution in Afghanistan is understood by several regional players, including China, Turkey and Iran, and even UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has echoed their views and called for efforts towards devising a political solution. The UN chief believes it is possible for Kabul to invest in creating conditions for just such a solution. But nearly all sides accept even if a little grudgingly that Pakistan’s cooperation is vital to the effort to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan.
By treating a political settlement in Afghanistan as a secondary goal and placing its faith in a military campaign, the US may be losing important momentum for peace. With a little coaxing and plenty of back-channel manoeuvres, Islamabad could still lure the Taliban to the negotiating table. But the success of that effort would hinge greatly upon expanding the quartet previously involved in the process and squeezing out as many pledges for peace as possible.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2017.