PM House huddle sets Kabul trip agenda

Delegation to raise issue of RAW’s involvement in Pakistani affairs, presence of Pakistani Taliban in Kabul

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is leading a high-powered delegation to the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday (today) to “discuss three key issues, including Indian spy agency’s role in fuelling terrorism in Pakistan”. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had extended the invitation for the visit, according to Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Kalimullah.

Army chief General Raheel Sharif, PM’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, PM’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and other senior officials will accompany Premier Nawaz.

On Monday, top civil and military leaders went into a huddle at the Prime Minister House to finalise the agenda for the Kabul trip. Sources said the participants discussed three key issues to be taken up with Afghan authorities.

Firstly, the delegation will get updates on the status of peace negotiations between the Ghani administration and the Taliban in Qatar, and the way forward. Secondly, the Pakistani officials will raise the issue of Indian intelligence agency RAW’s involvement in Pakistani affairs. Last week, top military commanders had expressed serious concerns over RAW’s involvement in ‘whipping up terrorism’ in the country.

Sources said that according to Pakistan, RAW has established many ‘centres’ in Afghanistan near the Balochistan border where it trains, facilitates and bankrolls Baloch insurgents to carry out anti-state activities in the troubled province.

Thirdly, the delegation will discuss the presence of Pakistani Taliban’s leadership in Afghanistan, sources added. “It will also update Afghan officials on Operation Zarb-e-Azb and the ‘across the border problems’ coming in the way of the offensive.”

President Ghani’s recent visit to India where he talked about trade through the Wagah-Attari border would also be discussed, sources said, adding that Pakistan was not willing to open its border for Afghan trade with India and would offer other options.

Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Sardar Awais Leghari told The Express Tribune that top-level interactions would strengthen bilateral relations between Islamabad and Kabul. “China’s resolve to assist Pakistan and Afghanistan has added a new dimension in the region,” he added.

This will be Premier Nawaz’s first visit to Kabul since President Ghani’s national unity government assumed charge. Earlier, he had visited Afghanistan on November 30, 2013. The prime minister will have separate meetings with President Ghani and Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah apart from delegation-level talks with the Afghan side.

The visit is taking place at a time when bilateral relations between the two countries are underpinned by unprecedented warmth, mutual trust and a shared vision of working together for a peaceful and stable region.

President Ghani has made negotiations a priority since taking office last year. China has also played a vital role in pressuring Pakistan to get the Taliban to the negotiating table.

Last month President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan where he encouraged Islamabad to ramp up its counterterrorism efforts in the region, including its role as a facilitator in the peace process between Afghanistan and the Taliban.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2015.