Pakistan, Russia to support intra-Afghan dialogue

Two sides agree on a ‘moderate’ government in Afghanistan post-2014.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan and Russia have decided to support an “all-inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue” to guide the war-ravaged country towards lasting peace.

“The Afghan endgame was one of the key subjects that came under discussions between Pakistani authorities and the Russian foreign minister, who travelled to Islamabad last week,” a senior government official told The Express Tribune.

Sergey Lavrov visited Pakistan in an effort to assure Islamabad that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to postpone his maiden trip would not affect the process of realignment.

Relations between the former Cold War rivals have shown significant improvement in recent months due to quiet diplomacy.

Situation in Afghanistan is believed to have been one of the key motivating factors that compelled the two countries to move beyond their bitter past.

Following a meeting between Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Foreign Minister Lavrov, an official statement said the two countries share common views on Afghanistan.

One official said Islamabad and Moscow were increasingly concerned about the future of Afghanistan once the US-led foreign forces pull out of the country. “There are genuine fears that Afghanistan may once again slip into the civil war,” the official added.

Given the complexity, he said both Pakistan and Russia agreed that only broad-based intra-Afghan dialogue could pave the way for real reconciliation.

“The two countries will play their part and encourage Afghan groups to enter the intra-Afghan dialogue,” said another official familiar with the development.

Both Islamabad and Moscow have historic ties with certain Afghan groups and are thought to have still enjoyed some clout over them.

But their strategy clearly appears to pre-empt any move by the US to install a political dispensation of its choosing in Afghanistan.

Even Foreign Minister Lavrov told a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar that Afghanistan should take the lead in any process leading to a political settlement.

He said any attempt to impose a solution from outside would not succeed in what appears to be a clear reference to Washington’s efforts to make peace with insurgents while bypassing the Afghan administration.

Experts, however, are sceptical whether increased cooperation between Pakistan and Russia will have a major impact on the final outcome in Afghanistan.

“They may share common interests but it will hardly make any difference on the ground,” said Rustam Shah Mohmand, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan.

Shah said Russia appears to see the Americans remain bogged down in Afghanistan. “That suits them...and they certainly did not forget what Americans did to them in the 80s,” he said referring to former Soviet Union’s defeat at the hands of Afghan Mujahedeen backed by US and other western countries.

Experts also believe Russia will not favour return of Taliban in Afghanistan as this could invite a lot of trouble for them at their backyard.

A Pakistani official said the two countries have shared this concern and want to see a “moderate” government in Afghanistan that can live at peace with its neighbours.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2012.