Doha détente

There has been some considerable melting of ice as the Afghan Taliban rubbed shoulders with the Pakistani diplomats in Doha. The multilateral moot in Qatar’s capital came at an opportune moment when Islamabad and Kabul were at odds, and Pakistan dumbstruck at the magnitude of the terror spiral. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan’s cross-border adventurism and the failure of Afghan Interim Government to act against them had soured bilateral relations, compelling both the sides to call it out at each other in an un-ceremonial manner.

It was, thus, reassuring to see that Taliban 2.0 leadership and Islamabad agreed to go ahead with the confidence building measures in terms of buoying trade and commerce activities not only at the bilateral level but also to the benefit of other regional players. While Pakistan categorically called for coming to aid and assistance of Afghanistan, and for releasing its confiscated financial assets, the required thaw for a working relationship was set in all solemnity.

The UN-sponsored Afghan conference, called Doha-111, incidentally was a shot in the arm for the reclusive dispensation in Kabul. It is so because the delegates called for renewed interaction to discuss regional stability and cooperation, and broadly sympathised with the plight of strife-torn Afghan nation. Moreover, a quadrilateral meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Qatar reviewed the Trans-Afghan Railway project to connect Uzbekistan and Pakistan via Afghanistan.

This activity and reposing of trust in a de facto government that still awaits recognition should come as a stark reminder to the Taliban that cementing a regime of peace by exterminating terror nexus, and broadening the government by including minorities and women is indispensable. Perhaps, that is what the intention of the international community is to see a responsible and reliable government in Afghanistan, and one which can flush out the remnants of war on terrorism for collective security of the region. Doha summit has put the ball in Kabul’s court.