As the parliamentary committee on national security endorsed on Friday the federal cabinet’s decision of not attending the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan, a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Islamabad’s boycott would have no negative impact, Tolonews reported.
The conference will go ahead as planned and the international community will discuss their commitments to Afghanistan beyond 2014, Karzai’s spokesman Emal Faizi said.
Pakistan had always said it was part of the solution of Afghan problems, Faizi said, adding if that really was Pakistan’s stance, then it should understand the importance of its participation in the conference.
However, he reiterated, if Pakistan doesn’t attend, it won’t make a difference.
“Pakistan has decided not to attend. I once again stress that this will have no negative impact, as the agenda of the conference is fully focused on Afghanistan’s future,” Faizi said.
“Of course a part of the agenda will focus on peace talks with anti-government armed groups, and if Pakistan wants to play a role, the conference will give it a chance,” Faizi added.
‘Karzai offered to protect Taliban from ISI’
While quarters in Afghanistan play down the importance of Pakistan’s attendance at the Bonn Conference, Karzai, in a failed attempt to find peace partners free from the influence of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), offered Taliban leaders living in Pakistan resettlement packages for their families, The Guardian revealed.
Quoting Afghan officials, The Guardian reported that the Afghan president’s effort to find representatives to talk for the insurgents were scuppered by their unwillingness to jeopardise families given sanctuary in Pakistan, where they claim to live under the sway of the ISI.
The initiative shows the desire of Karzai’s government to peel away a faction within the Quetta Shura, the report said.
A diplomat in Kabul said families of high-ranking Taliban are often moved around Pakistan against their will and live under a loose house arrest. To overcome the problem the Afghan government, with Nato backing, hatched secret plans to move entire families to protected areas in Afghanistan.
“Such an operation would be difficult but not impossible,” said a senior Afghan government official who did not wish to be named. “We have a red line on allowing our security forces to conduct operations inside Pakistan, but we were prepared to move the families. It would not have been a James Bond-style operation. We would have just used a few henchmen.”
The effort never came to anything though, he said, and the most recent offers to move families are on hold after the assassination of Karzai’s peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani. After Rabbani’s death in September the Afghan president abandoned efforts to talk to the Taliban, saying he would engage directly with Pakistan.
Foreign experts and Afghan officials say the issue of families is a big stumbling block to peace efforts, giving the ISI an iron grip over the Taliban. “Every Taliban commander has his family in Pakistan,” alleged a former Afghan official who has met the insurgents’ representatives in the past.
He said the ISI tried to ensure all high-ranking Taliban kept their families in Pakistan.
“It is a deliberate policy of the ISI, who cannot trust people to fight unless they bring their family to Pakistan,” the official claimed. Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2011.
COMMENTS (49)
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@sher ahmed khan: When was Lahore called Khorasan? And Delhi Hindustan?
The history of Indians and Pakistanis is only 60some years and in which they hardly know what was life before it.[even the historians].both dont know that Lahore was Khorasan and Delhi was Hindustan? ,or how rich control thier populations?, and the Shah's and how Mughals became cousins as 'Mirzas'and even struggled against ?.. Until 1893 when The Duran Line was marked,Kabul Peshawar Multan Lahore Quetta Kandhar Etc were one country....
@antanu: Let me guess, you personally picked Karzai's phone and passed it on to Geelani. Stop believing your fabricated media and lying politicians and army. The Bonn conference progress is clear indication that know one really cares about Pakistan's presence. To being polite and ask to join does not mean begging. You guys really need to fix your imaginations and pride. Anyways....too late!
@Chupsha As I always say, Egypt has The Nile while Pakistan has Denial
@Afghan - @Kabuli -@Pathan - or whatever your name is . . . . You Indian trolls have failed the sniff test with your childish name changing drama! Quit fomenting terrorism in the Pak-Afghan region! If you have something to say . . . . Represent your Indian self . . . be what you are and not what you are not!!
@CommonSense: You can also enlighten yourselves on how Asia leadership positions of US-India-China..
http://www.gallup.com/poll/144269/leadership-popular-asia-china-india.aspx
The recent bycot of Pakistan reflect the inner weakness of pakistan state structure and specially the militry,beurocratic,feudal junta who are the dominante exerting force beyond every events in Pakistan and in neighbour countries,pakistan have lost the support of the Taliban and other religious fundamentalist organizations and the vitality of active leadership of islamic countries,now the state structure is directly involved in sabotage activities to destabilized Afghanistan and the regions of central and south asien coutries.Mohmand agency accident as a planned escaleted tension to blame American and the n.a.t.o of advancing the tension in the region.The U.S.A and N.A.T.O have broken the Al queda and Taliban uprising in Afghanistan and in dominant Pashtoon and Balauch area in Pakistan. The solution of the whole problem of Cental and South Asia are the integration in a single market or the immergence of Pashtoon Blouch provinces in their mother country Afghanistan. we wellcome the presence of U.S.A and N.A.T.O for stabilizing not only Afghanistan but the whole region of Central and South Asia.
Wake up Pakistanis, bring reform in your country and then expect to live in peace!
We need to realise that Afghanistan is atleast not our friend anymore....who can forget Afghanistan was the only country in the world who opposed our entry in UN......
Just an effort to hide their disappointment otherwise Karzai and his masters know for certain that Bonn conference without Pakistan's participation will be meaningless.
@Afghan - A Pakistani Pakhtun can smell a fake and Pakistan's enemy . . . meaning you are an Indian Agent who loves to stir the pot and that's what the soil of Afghanistan is being used under Karzai's administration . . . to stir the pot on Pakistan's back yard. Indian trolls on ET! Get a life!
Yes . . . .nothing will make a difference in any thing positive as long as Afghanistan allows India to perform Anti-Pakistan activities from its soil. Karzai speaks from both sides of his mouth!
Wonderful!Go ahead with Pak's Blessing!Without Pakistan in Bonn is like without backbone.It is like a baseball game without a catcher.Invite UN too which is the greatest JOKE of this century.You were playing this funny game without the blessings of Pak among yourselves anyway,Mrs.Ckinton,Karzai and Mr.Manmanao with India,so why bother about Pakistan now?You never gave a hoot to Pak before,so why these nivitations?Afghans would love combined'kichery'movie of Hollywood and Bollywood
@sajid: " Yes Karzai you can have the taliban and take those animals as far away from our country as possible " - How can Karzai take them back as long as they are your establishment's strategic assets in the Afghan end game. They will not let them go so easily
you afghanis have been feeding through us for over 20 years and still come and bad mouth us. ingrates
Good if they can take care of matters without our help so be it.
@commonSense, you sound like Zaid Hamid, where did you get this that Afghans like Pakistan. You are saying that it is your backyard & you are selling to the world your safe havens for terror. 95% of Pashtun do not like Pakistan policies of colonolization of Afghanistan. If you have a chance to read Molla Zaeef, then, you would know how much clout Pakistan have with Taliban. Giving safe sancturies to Taliban is different to have clout with Taliban. What do you think if the international community ask Pakistan army to bring them to table? Can you do that. Simple answer is you can't. All the stake holder knows that. Defintely Pak can play spoiler but how much power Taliban has except few sucide bombers or road side bombs. Can they hold territory? This game is up & it is endgame for Pakistan not Afghanista.
@Afghan: hahah you slapped him good LOL
@Tahir, As an afghan I have always had a soft corner for pakistan. However your sheer ignorance and arrogance made me to reply. People like you who can just type a few words think they know best. As a muslim you should wish the same for your neihgbour as for urself. Afghanistan is an incient country and its people are simple people. They dont schemye against fellow muslim neighbours. Yet pakistan has diverted all iys energ to subjugate the untennables. why is it dificult to help your meighbour instead of destroying their home
He's right, Bonn is useless as before.
@Afghan: regarding "@Tahir", great reply.
Taliban are fighting against NATO because their families are in Pakistan or Taliban's families are in Pakistan because they fighting against NATO?????
@fahim: Let them move who cares, only care about this they don't start moving back into Pakistan like rotten rats, like always they do
I sense a negativism in all comments. I think what pakistan actually need is full civilian control. The army and ISI's wings needs to be cut. Pakistan do not reflect in itself. On the other hand India has become the only country having signed security pact with afghanistan. Actions of ISI are in bad faith. It is busy in having strategic depth in other countries by providing safe heavens. Such strategy cant work for long. Also Pakistan made mistake by siding with US during cold war and loosing its independence in several foriegn policy matters. On the other hand India followed non alignment. I guess the biggest problem of our Pakistan is that we forgot or were made to forget that independence struggle against british was very hard. We were not taught about Asfaqulah, Bhagat singh, Azad, and Gandhi.. If we had remembered the sacrifice of that times we would have valued our soveriegnity..
Please comment on this.. The chest-thumping people keep away!
Oh yea, block the border for just 3 months, then observes how many snakes would move into Pakistan, all you need to kill from the heads. Dont feed them they certainly will bite you. GOP must expel 3.5 million snakes living on our land ASAP
@Asad: "So why was Karzai calling us to participate?" For the same reason, everyone else was - for the sake of form. Otherwise, believe me, no one in the world gives a damn. Now, the world can tell you:"You were invited, you did not come. Now, all decisions not only with regards to Afghanistan, but also of Pakistan, will be taken without your input." You have lost the right to crib. Pakistan, you are your own worst enemy!
@CommonSense: Wow, when American opinion polls tell you that you are popular in Afghanistan you don't mind believing them. Surprising other reports which showed Pakistan is the 12th most failed state, most corrupt in the region (and India is pretty lousy, so you can imagine how bad you are), lowest literacy levels, really low per capita income (India, which houses 50% of the world's poor, is higher than you - amazing), worst in the region for religious minorities etc don't seem that important to you. Hypocrisy at its finest.
@Tahir: Same thing apllies to you. You dont speak for all the Pakistan, you have access to a computer. We all know the reality of the common pakistani person. Pakistan is our playground. Best way to solve the Pakistan problem is to partition Pakistan (like bangladesh). Pashtun go to Afghanistan, Baloch and Dari regions go to Balochistan, Sindh to Sindhudesh and Punjab goes to kashmir.
world over pak is recognized as trouble maker... even afghans wants to move on without us.. shameful
Spokesperson for Najibullah 2.0
This was a bad decision. I think this is what the NATO/ Afghanistan wanted and we fell for the trick. Now there will be no oppsotion from us to whatever decisions are taken. Ya Allah Khair
Pakistan's decision to boycott the Bonn Conference as well as refusal to participate in Pentagon's investigation of the incident makes Pakistan look guilty. In the short term it will damage Pakistan's standing in the world which it may shrug off. After all, Pakistan's reputation at the moment is lying prone in dust and there is any point in flogging a dead horse only so much. In the longer term, it now releases NATO from any self-control in their future action, especially on the soil of Pakistan because it would now be considered a hostile country. Of course, you have lost all claim to any international monetary help of any kind for quite a while!
@hej: Isn't it amazing that you guys never once tried to think from the point of view of the Afghan people. Look at the comments - Afghanistan is our backyard, will not become stable without Pakistan etc, and you can understand the cause of instability in the region - otherwise what does one country have to do with another's stability unless it is the reason for its absence in the first place. And now India is supposed to be sponsoring the TTP, the BLA etc. But just explain to me, if India can allegedly wreak so much of havoc in Pakistan just through the presence of a few consulates and deep pockets, what stops Pakistan from bloodying India's nose by rooting out the terrorists or buying them off? Any idea what the pitch is - if it is money, your friends in Saudi Arabia will happily foot the bill, if it is ideology, I thought Islam was the great unifier, if it is ethnicity, you guys have always claimed to have upheld the Pakhtun cause. So how is India managing this? Or you can't possibly be indicating that Indians are crazy enough to blow themselves up under some assumed names - what is the motivation? (Although I suspect Zaid Hamid has an answer to that as well, he always does). Anyway, regardless of the explanation if you can't even control your misguided brothers, why do you dream of controlling Afghanistan.
@Asad Remember your history Afghanistan is no one back yard. Especially a British demarcated state carved out of British India!!
@hej:
You must be ashamed, not proud of your ill-involvement in the instability of Afghanistan and in the killings and widowing of millions of your Muslim brothers. This is quite ironic that you have been a puppet of the same master for decades whom you accuse Afghanistan of. By the way, we Afghans would like our government to be a puppet of the USA not a puppet of a 'puppet', like it was back in 1994-2001.
As a Pakistani I feel that its better to reduce our stakes in Afghanistan given their history of betrayal and prejudice against us.Further, we should let Afghans themselves be the custodian of their future.Expedite the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland and also improve our western border security on such lines that we may be insulated from whatever is happening there.I think we should shift our focus to our nation and our own security is more important than that of Afghans for us.They still have a long way to go in becoming a developing nation and through our wrong policies we are being dragged backwards in all respects.It is a pity that Afghans have been a fighting field for so many super powers.We as pakistanis have to tread alone forever.no one in the world wants us Pakistanis to move ahead. a hard reality we all as a nation need to accept.
@ashok sai:
We will see how Afghanistan becomes stable without involving Pakistan...........obviously now Afghanistan's puppet government does not have any other option but to say that it doesn't matter Pakistan attends the meeting or not.. surely time will tell and the Afghan govt and NATO will realize their mistakes.........and for you my Indian friend u better stay out of this............India have nothing to do with Afghanistan except plotting terrorist activities to be carried out in Pakistan..............Enabling Environment and Incentives for Nexus Solutions “A strong leadership is key for realizing the Nexus”
When it comes to Loyya Jirga ' for meeting as in the agenda There are both higher and lower class of publics but they can meet in Multan only.. majority of afghans live on Pakistani side of Afghanistan..
West has no light left itself in the long years and this a excellent chance for families to bring peace in the region..There are no chances of a voice higher than Gardez [SWS] and pres, Karazai has been to Multan recently and has good connections.....
@Ashok sai Nope, not really, not yet. I'll ask you a few months down the line if you still think the same when Afghan and US come begging to us to help negotiate with the Taliban. Karzai cant protect his own brothers you really think he can represent and fix his own country. Indians are as usual living in 1999 when they assumed they had suceeded in isolating Pakistan. Also as far as egos are concerned, yours might need a band aid after reading the recent Zogby poll which took place in Afghanistan, where majority of Afghans have a positive view of Pakistan and majority of Afghan view India and US negatively. Go use something called Google to look it up, before you jump to comment on anything you can find ignorantly.
Karzai's government and ANA are enemies of Pakistan. ISI should not give those families back. Afghanistan is our backyard remember that, and Karzai's days are numbered.
I like Tribune for their unbiased reporting and not twisting the words of reports quoted from other western media, unlike some Pakistani Urdu newspapers. Good job ET.
Yes Karzai you can have the taliban and take those animals as far away from our country as possible.
So why was Karzai calling us to participate?