Deal with Kabul

A leap forward has been attained as Pakistan and Afghan authorities have struck a deal to get going amid adversity and reservations. A one-on-one meeting between Pakistan's Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul led to some trouble-shooting, wherein issues ranging from crackdown on TTP, repatriation of Afghan refugees and relaxations in trade and tariff were ironed out.

This breakthrough has come after months of tension, border clashes, diplomatic jibes and a standoff literally pushing the fragile relations almost to a point of rupture. All that is needed now is stringent implementation through a coordinated mechanism to ensure that there are no parallel tiers of communication leading to confusion, and an instant counterterrorism protocol to address the volatility simmering on both sides of the divide.

The salient features of the deal, as reported, are worth appreciating. The two sides agreed to repatriate the refugees with due respect by addressing the alleged mistreatment meted out to them as nearly 60,000 were forced to cross back into Afghanistan between April 1 and 13.

Likewise, it was resolved that there won't be any forceful buying of abandoned Afghan properties and returnees will be allowed to take back all of their belongings. Last but not least, it was reiterated that non-state actors will not be allowed to use each other's soil for terrorism.

This tête-à-tête has come at an opportune moment as regional dynamics are in a state of flux, as Afghanistan and the US are under an understanding to address the fissures through diplomacy without resorting to the conventional approach of war-mongering.

Pakistan had long been advocating that a logical way out is to talk, leading to nailing down of unscrupulous elements, a peaceful repatriation of refugees and an accord on border crossings.

The formation of a high-powered committee of intelligence personnel and interior officials to tackle the issues, thus, is another step in the right direction. Time to see through the deal with complete repatriation of more than 1.3 million Afghan refugees from Pakistan.