Neighbourhood watch: Hopes for peace fade in wake of Karzai’s insecurity

Blame game continues to keep Pakistan in the spotlight.

ISLAMABAD:

Hopes for a long-awaited spell of peace in Afghanistan were dashed just days after the Taliban were allowed to open their political office in Qatar.

The Taliban had been under severe criticism for refusing negotiations. However, when they publicly agreed to talk to the US, Afghan President Hamid Karzai blocked the process by raising objections over minor issues. The objects of Karzai’s annoyance were a white flag flying over the Qatar office and a plaque bearing the words ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’, which corresponds to a name given to the country during the Taliban’s years in power.

Karzai viewed the Taliban office as an embassy and a parallel government in exile.

Despite the Taliban clarifying this was not the case, Karzai and his peace council remained unconvinced. Consequently, the removal of the plaque and flag irked Taliban chiefs.

Additionally, Karzai’s approach also encouraged Afghan leaders in his camp to oppose any talks. While speaking at a gathering of political leaders held in Kabul on Friday, Dr Rangeen Dafar Spanta, Karzai’s national security advisor, said the government should not appeal to the Taliban to resume the peace process.

Karzai was upset at the US attempting to hold direct talks with the Taliban. The Afghan president, who opted for more control over the peace process, was concerned his government would be cornered in a possible deal involving the Taliban and the United States.

His fears grew when the Taliban sat face-to-face with their political opponents for the first time in France in December last year. The premier then blocked a similar UN-sponsored conference scheduled to be held in Turkmenistan earlier this year.

Despite pursuing reconciliation for years, the Afghan president has become the main instrument causing a deadlock between the concerned parties.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have a valid point in insisting all terms and conditions were accepted ahead of opening their office in Qatar. A Taliban spokesperson earlier said the group would first hold talks with the United States to address issues concerning the latter. They also hinted talks with Afghanistan would be held at a later stage.

However, the US surprisingly endorsed Karzai’s stance and accused the Taliban of violating the terms laid out for the Qatar office. But Washington dropping its plan to meet Taliban negotiators was viewed as surrender to Karzai’s pressure. Many will believe peace talks with the Taliban are not a priority for the US government, as it prefers security pacts for its long-term interests in the region.

The security pact in question will allow thousands of US troops to stay beyond the 2014 Nato withdrawal. Taliban and Hizb-e-Islami’s chief, Engineer Hekmatyar, say the presence of American troops after 2014 is a continuation of war.

Afghan experts claim the controversy over the Taliban office surfaced in the wake of poor preparations.

“The US came up short in preparing the (Taliban) office and the losers will ultimately be the Afghans,” said Afghan expert and former minister Dr Farouq Azam. He told The Express Tribune the US did not pave the way for a reliable and trusted partnership in Afghanistan.

Blame game complicates peace process

In sheer frustration over the office in Qatar, senior Afghan civil and military leaders kept up the blame game with Pakistan at a time when cooperation between the two countries is required to push through with the elusive process.

A fresh statement came from Afghan Army Chief General Sher Mohammad Karimi on Wednesday when he said Pakistan controlled and gave shelter to Afghan Taliban leaders. General Karimi told the BBC  fighting in Afghanistan could be stopped “in weeks” if Pakistan told the Taliban to end the insurgency.

Pakistan was quick to reject Karimi’s assertions, terming them another attempt to malign the country.

Days earlier, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Ershad Ahmadi claimed Pakistan had floated the concept of an Afghan power-sharing arrangement between Kabul and the Taliban. “We believe this federalism is a means for Pakistanis to achieve what they could not achieve through their proxy (the Taliban),” Ahmadi had said said on Monday.

This blame game does little more than reflect a deep mistrust that endangers cooperation between the two neighbours. Pakistan will have to review its approach towards Afghanistan and take steps to bridge the trust gap, as instability in war-torn Afghanistan will have a direct impact on the country. Similarly, Kabul’s public accusations could further complicate prospects for any sustainable peace in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2013.