Khar-Grossman meeting

A parade of US officials have been making their way to Pakistan over the last few months, trying to repair the damage by the Raymond Davis saga and the Osama bin Laden raid, all the while striving to convince us that we need to take swift action against the Haqqani network. The latest visitor was Marc Grossman, the replacement for the late Richard Holbrooke as a special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan. During his day-long trip on October 13, he met with the president, prime minister, foreign minister and the all-important chief of army staff. By all accounts, ties between the countries are slowly inching back toward normalcy, and such high-level meetings can only help move the process along.

But even as the two sides continue to talk, it would be foolish to pretend that relations are back on track. The presence of the Haqqani network on Pakistani soil, and the alleged support they are given will continue to remain a point of contention. The fact is that as the US begins its phased withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Obama administration needs Pakistan to tackle the Afghan Taliban so that they can claim the withdrawal was a sign of victory, not retreat. Pakistan, for its part, is hedging its bets. Wanting influence in a post-withdrawal Afghanistan, it sees no incentive in throwing its lot in with the US. No matter how many meetings are held, this essential fact is unlikely to change. And with the US also prepared to talk with the Afghan Taliban, including the Haqqani network, the status quo will probably remain.

Disagreement about the Haqqani network, however, does not have to mean a complete break in ties. There are still many points at which our interests converge with those of the Americans. Defeating the Pakistani Taliban, for one, should be a priority for both countries. It is also in the interest of the US to ensure that Pakistan does not economically collapse, as that would pave the way to further instability and possibly the toppling of the current government with one that is far more anti-American. Just for that reason alone, aid will continue to pour in and may also be accompanied by further trade. Despite the mistrust on both sides, both countries have too much at stake to simply go their separate ways.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2011.