A rapid evolution

Afghanistan has asked Pakistan play a more “visible” role by persuading the Afghan Taliban to engage in negotiations

There has undoubtedly been a warming of relations with Afghanistan since the Karzai administration was replaced by that of Ashraf Ghani, who appears to be determined to reboot what had become a corrosive and toxic relationship — on both sides. The mistrust — on both sides — is not going to disappear overnight and small incremental moves are the order of the day. The Afghan administration has now asked that Pakistan play a more “visible” role by persuading the Afghan Taliban to engage in negotiations. Decoding ‘visible’ is the key to this latest communication. The implication is that Pakistan has at the very least influence over the Afghan Taliban if not outright control. Such an assumption has been dismissed as it always is and always was, by an unnamed government source. Historically, Pakistan did indeed have very considerable influence — which fell short of overall control — of Taliban elements in Afghanistan. The vital question in the current scenario is to what extent that leverage is still operant.



Much may hang on this. There is a need for more transparency on both sides, and for Pakistan to play a hand that builds confidence rather than suspicion. It is entirely possible that Pakistan retains some contact with the Afghan Taliban — it would be unusual if it did not. It is equally possible that those links could be massaged in such a way as to facilitate the peace process in Afghanistan, but whether those with that capacity would ever want to reveal themselves must be a very open question, with a negative being the likely response — at least for public consumption. The world at large sees very little of the back-channel work that goes on in situations such as this, and publicly stated positions may be at variance with behind-the-arras activity. That said it would not be to the detriment of Pakistan to make clear and unambiguous statements in support of the peace process, whilst leaving the detail of what is happening in the covert world hidden. It is time to move on from the modern iteration of The Great Game, and prime the engines of peace.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th,  2014.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.