Abdullah in Islamabad

It is indeed a welcome moment. Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan Dr Abdullah Abdullah visited Pakistan and leaders from both countries reiterated their commitment to improving the bilateral ties and to the Afghan peace process. Relations between the two countries have been see-sawing over the past few years, partly due to a history of mistrust going back decades, and partly due to foreign influence and interference in bilateral issues. In the past, Abdullah has been among the Afghan politicians throwing all sorts of accusations at Pakistan. That made Abdullah’s conciliatory tone at a recent event in Islamabad stand out.

“After many troubling years, we now need to go beyond the usual stale rhetoric and shadowy conspiracy theories that have held us back,” said Abdullah while speaking after a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad. He noted the two countries “cannot afford to pursue business as usual”, and need “fresh approaches”. He went as far as committing that his country would not allow its territory to be used against any other country. While the weakness of the Afghan security forces may stand in the way of that promise working out in practice, we are optimistic that at least they will make an effort to try to eliminate terrorists safe havens from border areas.

Qureshi, meanwhile, made a similar commitment while accepting Pakistan’s “recognition of the mistakes of the past”. After noting, “We want to be friends, not masters”, he called for both countries to “accept reality and add a new chapter to our bilateral relations and build a common future”. One of those realities was addressed over the weekend by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who warned that the Afghan peace process could be a slow one, and unrealistic timelines should not be set. Also significant in Qureshi’s speech was his underscoring that Pakistan has “no favourites” in the peace talks, referring to Pakistan and the Taliban’s historically close ties.

While this relationship does remain strong, trying to prop up the Taliban and a disinclination to work with the Afghan government in the past had harmed Pakistan’s interests. Willingness to work with all parties will eventually benefit all stakeholders in the long run.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2020.

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