Changing times

Kabul and Islamabad need to work together to end the militancy which has inflicted so much suffering on the people.

Pakistan’s role and significance in the region will change after the US pullout from Afghanistan scheduled later in the year. The issues surrounding this were discussed by the US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The experienced diplomat, James Dobbins, visited Islamabad and held a series of meetings, including those with the adviser on national security and foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, and other top officials.

It is clear from Dobbins’s visit that there is some concern in Washington about how precisely Pakistan will react in the coming months as the situation in Afghanistan continues to unfold. That country has, of course, just gone through an election and the aftermath of this will be closely watched from many capitals. Pakistan is an essential player in the game in this region. Much could depend on how it reacts and what it does. What is important is to persuade everyone in the country, including all institutions, that there is a need to act with maturity and reason. There should be no attempt to gain political points in Afghanistan by siding with a particular group or backing one against the other. This could only draw Pakistan into deeper trouble. Our main concern must be to join with the country to end the militancy which has inflicted so much suffering on the people of both nations. Kabul and Islamabad need to work together to make this suffering end.

We know that Islamabad has been anxious about India’s role in Afghanistan but this must not override its main concern to establish peace in the region and ensure a more stable future for it. At present, there is far too much uncertainty. It is crucial this be ended so that both Pakistan and Afghanistan can progress towards a more peaceful future and as such build the harmony that is badly needed to end the violence that has shaken this entire stretch of territory from the 1970s onwards and taken more and more violent shape over the last few decades. Ending this mayhem is essential.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2014.

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