Fazlur Rehman’s visit to Afghanistan

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (F), undertook a visit to Afghanistan recently. Given the current state of tense relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, his five-day trip was seen as significant. The government distanced itself from the JUI-F chief’s visit, emphasising that he went there in a private capacity.

But despite this stance, the fact that Fazl was briefed about Pakistan’s stance before he travelled to Kabul shows that the state of Pakistan was in the picture. Why did Fazl travel to Afghanistan? The JUI-F chief himself said he for long wished to travel to the neighbouring country to congratulate the Afghan Taliban over their ‘victory’ against the US-led foreign forces. It is believed that the Afghan Taliban were earlier not keen to invite Maulana. But what prompted the Taliban regime to extend an invitation to the JUI-F chief was the brewing tensions with Pakistan. Islamabad virtually severed high-level contacts with Kabul over the interim Afghan government’s failure to rein in the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad has also taken raft of measures including eviction of undocumented Afghans, introduction of one document regime for refugees and tightening control over Afghan transit trade to make the Afghan Taliban government feel the heat of non-cooperation with Pakistan.

These reasons forced the Afghan government to invite Maulana Fazl to explain their stance. The JUI-F chief was given a rousing welcome. He met all the top leaders of Afghan Taliban. Significantly, he was taken to Kandahar for a meeting with Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada. This was the first known meeting between any Pakistani leader and the reclusive Taliban chief. It was reported that a host of issues including the TTP and Afghan refugees came under discussion. From Pakistan’s perspective, the Taliban leader offered help to jumpstart the peace talks with the TTP. He reportedly offered use of the Taliban’s Qatar office for the purpose. The JUI-F chief also reportedly held meetings with Pakistan’s most wanted terrorists. Fazl interacted with TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud and Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who was once a member of the JUI-F. It was said that Maulana’s meeting with Haibatullah was conditional to his engagement with the TTP and other terrorist outfits’ leaders.

At the heart of tension between the two countries are the terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban told Fazl that the TTP was an internal issue of Pakistan and there was no presence of the group on the Afghan soil. But the Taliban claim was busted by the very fact that Fazl held meetings with Noor Wali and Gul Bahadur on the Afghan soil. It appears that the Afghan Taliban are still sticking to their stance of seeking a political solution to the TTP problem. Pakistan did hold talks with the TTP in 2022. The talks were brokered by the Afghan Taliban. Initially, the talks did make progress when the terrorist group announced a ceasefire in return for Pakistan releasing certain militants. But the process soon ran into trouble when Pakistani authorities realised that the TTP was using the talks to regroup.

The other thorny issue was the TTP’s unconstitutional demands. The terrorist outfit wanted to regain foothold in the erstwhile tribal areas. It had been demanding the restoration of the status of tribal areas. Pakistan, however, made it clear that there would be no compromise on its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Hence, the talks broke down. Since then Pakistan has hardened its stance. The Afghan Taliban were told in clear terms that Kabul would have to neutralise the TTP threat and Pakistan would not talk to the terrorist outfit. The stance was reiterated by the Foreign Office a day after Fazl met the Taliban chief. Despite Fazl’s claims that the visit was successful, officials are skeptical of any breakthrough. But they do say that the Afghan Taliban seem to be feeling the heat, something that may force them to address Pakistan’s concerns!

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2024.

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