Pakistan

Gen Kayani, ISI chief to visit Kabul today for talks

Express June 27, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Director-General of the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) Ahmed Shuja Pasha will be in Kabul for a “morning-to-evening trip” on Monday, ISPR chief Major-General Athar Abbas told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

According to Gen Abbas, both Kayani and Pasha are on a ‘routine’ trip.

Pakistan’s top military leaders will be arriving in the Afghan capital to discuss various aspects of a new counter-insurgency plan with Afghan and allied leaders. The plan is said to be making considerable headway.

Although the visit is ostensibly to attend a gathering of a tripartite commission of Pakistan, Afghanistan and allied forces, officials said there is also a possibility of a bilateral meeting with President Hamid Karzai. However, this was not confirmed by Gen Athar Abbas.

The visit is taking place on the heels of reports that Karzai had earlier held two meetings with Afghan Taliban commander Maulvi Sirajuddin Haqqani, whose group is based in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region.

There are speculations that Pakistan is pushing for a ‘deal’ between Karzai and various warring factions of Afghan Taliban, allowing them to have a place in any future political dispensation in Kabul.

Kayani has during the past week been holding meetings with various top political and military officials of the United States, Britain and Afghanistan.

On Friday, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Admiral Mike Mullen met him in Rawalpindi.

A day ago, William Hague, the UK secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs, discussed with Pakistan’s military chief the prospects of a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan.

US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke and Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul were also among those who met Kayani during the week.

Admiral Mike Mullen is already in Afghanistan and discussed with Karzai last week the new scenario emerging out of the sacking of Gen. Stanley A McChrystal, the allied commander in the country.

Experts believe visit by Kayani and Pasha to Kabul might have impact on the future of reconciliation plan initiated by Karzai to attract Taliban to a negotiating table.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (17)

shaoib khalil | 13 years ago | Reply as salam-o-alykom sir pl z request me, Pakistan is Islamic country. sir Pakistani people in problem.On visit sir

M. Kamran Khan | 13 years ago | Reply i think Pakistan is the basic key to win this war.Without Pakistan especially Gen. Kayani, U.S can't win this war.its my opinion Pakistani civilian government can't do any thing in this matter.Just because of this U.S is continuously looking at Gen. Kayani as well as I.S.I

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Asim | 13 years ago | Reply @Shahid... Mate, perhaps you have a chnaged way of thinking..which is good..wot are you going to do with the skin you are wearing? I sincerely hope My country not to have confused-arm chair analyst so called opnion makers like you. and let me tell you if it were not upto the very people you are criticizing...we 180million ppl wouldnt have an identity... Kher.. Up for peace..and hope AF-PAK can become one like envisioned in 1950's... and then someone messed it up..

Muhammad Bilal Iftikhar Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Shahid Pakistan is victim of People like you. who are more loyal to west then country. how much blood you want? we see people belonging to elitist class wanting blood , we never see them talking about root causes of terror. root cause of terror lies in socio- economic and political problems. to kill terror we need education and development. not loot in name of OCO or WOT. use of force has only proved to be counter productive. it was use of force which changed a radical movement into Pashtun national movement in Afghanistan and is now cause of Sub nationalist passions in KPK.

Shahid | 13 years ago | Reply To be honest, Pakistan looks like the mechant of terrorism and nukes. A dangerous thing indeed. God bless its neighbours.

Salim Afghani | 13 years ago | Reply We would like to have peace at any cost. It is good that Afghanistan and Paksitan started talking to each other and now want to bring the militants to speak to the Afghan goverment. Karzai is brave, unlike Northern Alliance who is now shaking because Taliban are cmming back. We Afghans want peace, it does not matter who rules. If Taliban are considred "criminals", let me tell you we are aleardy ruled by the terorist of Northern Alliance who destroyed Kabul in the 90s and killed over 60000 civilians. I will dance if a peace accord can be accomplished with Haqqani, Mullah Omer, Hikmatyar and others.

Syed Nadir El-Edroos | 13 years ago | Reply Great! So the Haqqani network has killed thousands of Pakistani's, are nothing more than petty criminals. Are Army on the other hand is nice and cosy with them, pushing the Afghans to negotiate with the Haqqani's to ensure Pakistani influence in the country. So much for bringing killers to justice!

Nina | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan and Afghanistan obviously want peace in the region, even if means negotiating with insurgents. The USA being the world's biggest war monger does not want peace to prevail in the region, even though the media may portray it as such. Things are never what they appear to be when it comes to the USA, UK or any other western nation. Our leaders should be very cautious with any deal that involves the US, NATO because these people only have their own strategic interests at heart, and do not care one bit for the citizens of Af-Pak. They will only stab us in the back as history has shown one too many times.

Malik | 13 years ago | Reply Negotiations are the only option for US and its allies. its might be seen USA lose the war against terror

Hira Mir | 13 years ago | Reply @shahid. Agree with part of your comment. I hope they can take care of this problem real good before thigns mess up and get out of control.

Sher Zaman | 13 years ago | Reply Any effort that might lead to a peaceful settlement between the Taliban and the government and the ISAF is highly appreciated, and will have its impact on both sides of the border.

cucumucz | 13 years ago | Reply Shahid why don't u go an guard the Afghan-Pakistan Border . Do u think you can,if there is an enemy on the other side of the fence. No one can deny 60% of population from politics and rule the country without them. Its there country and they should get there share.

Shahid | 13 years ago | Reply Al Jazeera is reporting that they met Karzai alongwith Sirajuddin Haqqani. Looks like our Jihadi generals took their "strategic asset" to meet Kayani. They will turn this war over our heads with their idiotic "strategic depth" again.

milan | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan's sincere efforts to reconcile warring groups in Afghanistan may not be successful because there already is a enormous constituency in the US right-wing media, like the New York Times, that have launched huge propaganda and wilfully manipulative campaigns against any peace moves. Although, the Obama administration wants an exit for they know the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable and the only way to achieve a respectable exit is to cut losses and leave as soon as possible, with a peace deal or something behind so they can sell it to Americans at home, the right-wing would still sell the idea that it is the historic and legendary War on Terror they are fighting. The right-wing media spurred and controlled by the neo-cons want to continue the war for they want to see Obama get bogged down in it enough to push Democrats out of the White House for another decade. Pakistan needs to continue its efforts of reconciliation because it would stabilize the region and deny opportunity for a varied sorts of actors, agents, and profiteers out of Pakistan's neighborhood. It might also bring peace within Pakistan. Pakistan needs to be tough on extremism, but it also needs a grand national healing effort. Anti-Pakistan forces in and out of Pakistan want to bring the country to the brink of total chaos. The only chance Pakistan can rebuild its nation and bridge fissures in its society is by establishing peace on its Western border. That would be impossible unless negotiations with Afghan insurgents take place.

Syed A. Mateen | 13 years ago | Reply Negotiations are the only option for US and its allies. US is engaged in Afghanistan after 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pantagon but after a lapse of nine long years, US could not succeed in war on teror in Afghanistan nor US can succeed in Iraq. To arrest Osama Bin Laden and his accomplices would remain a dream for US government. The two fronts open by US is causing millions of US$'s every day to national ex-chequer. The best solution is that a direct talks should held with the insurgents so that peace could be achieved in the region. The rebounding force of Taliban in Afghanistan seems to be more organised than the US and Nato forces. It is time for US to wind up the war and recall US military personnel so that peace shoud be achieved in the region. What every one wants is peace but the negotatied peace should not be derailed other wise Taliban will once again get engaged in the the war on terror. The war is not just for US. The war is also for Taliban. The efforts of peace will bring some fruitful results. But who is going to shake hand with Talibans on behalf of the US Government? I do not think that Obama will get involved directly for negotiating peace in Afghanistan. The only mediation will be done between Talibans and US government by Pakistan Army.

Altaf Hussain | 13 years ago | Reply State within state!!!! This is totally rubbish especially Government of PPP. Killer never be peace negotiator and peace ambassador.

Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Interesting...

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