Pakistan

Pakistan invites India’s FM to moot on Afghanistan

Heart of Asia Conference will open in Islamabad on Dec 7

Kamran Yousaf November 09, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has invited India’s foreign minister to a crucial regional conference on Afghanistan to be held in Islamabad next month.

The move comes at a time when the Pakistan-India relationship is at its lowest ebb. The frosty ties between the two nuclear-armed hostile neighbours may begin to thaw, if New Delhi accepts the invite.

Internal pressure mounts on Afghan govt for peace talks

“A formal invitation has been sent to India and 25 other countries for the Heart of Asia ministerial meeting on Afghanistan to be hosted by Pakistan,” a senior Foreign Office official told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

The conference will be held in Islamabad on December 7 and 8. And attendees will include representatives from immediate and extended neighbourhood of Afghanistan, including Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the UAE.

An Indian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed New Delhi has received the invitation but said the decision on whether the external affairs minister will attend the conference has yet to be taken. India is likely to send a high-level delegation headed by the minister given the conference’s importance.

The Heart of Asia Conference, which is primarily convened to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan with particular focus on helping the war-torn country’s economy, may provide an opportunity for both Pakistan and India to re-engage.

Analysts believe India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi may now re-engage with Islamabad as elections in Bihar are over. Officials in Islamabad, however, said it is premature to draw any conclusion at this stage.

In August, a crucial meeting between the national security advisers of Pakistan and India was cancelled at the eleventh hour after bitter differences over the agenda of talks.

Breakthrough expected in stalled Afghan talks

Islamabad insisted on all-inclusive talks, including on the Kashmir issue, but New Delhi was adamant that the meeting remained confined to terror-related issues. Ties between the two countries have been on a downward trajectory ever since, with both sides accusing each other of sponsoring terrorism.

Gen Raheel to visit US

Army chief General Raheel Sharif will embark on a five-day visit to the United States on November 15, the military’s chief spokesman said on Sunday. He will hold meetings with both American civil and military authorities on a wide range of issues, including the region’s current security situation, ISPR DG Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa said.

This will be Gen Raheel’s second visit to Washington in a year which comes weeks after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the United States.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (26)

JSM | 9 years ago | Reply @Asif: You mean Pakistan decided to invite India without resolving the Kashmir dispute? India is an enemy country- so why this courtesy. Or is there international showmanship in it.

Well Wisher | 9 years ago | Reply It would be interesting to hear Pakistan's voice in the summit, since, Pakistani's know for themselves how inferior they are. Pakistanis today feel that by cutting of the land route via Pakistan to Afg from Ind, they are at a superior position. This will eventually, put Pakistan in a very precarious condition, since, their strategic think tanks already know how much wrath and turmoil they had to face for trying to act funny in the past, in their Western and Eastern borders. PAKISTAN SHOULD DO MORE Above words commanded by USA Noted by Nawaz during his US visit on a note pad.

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Hari Om | 9 years ago | Reply @Asif. Pakistan was like you foolhardily blind to seeing any evidence for the likelihood of the venue being shifted out of Pakistan because of India being kept out of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference. Pakistan like you was then also foolishly presuming that India being kept out would not hamper the conference agenda as India’s role was not as important as Pakistan’s and some other countries and there is no country (such as US) in the list of attendees who would pressurize upon attendance of India. Here do note that Heart of Asia Conference attendees include Iran, Russia and Tajikistan, all of whom were aligned with India in supporting Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance against Pakistan backed Taliban. I repeat Pakistan has NO CHOICE but to either invite India or risk Heart of Asia venue being shifted out of Pakistan. Pakistan’s courtesy, good will etc. has nothing to do with India being invited; it is obligation.

Siddiq Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply @Sandip: Last I checked, India is the country which has received more aid from the US than even Israel and Pakistan. But due to Pakistan's location in Asia, it has no choice but to be a part of the Afghan great game and Pan-Eurasian partnership. Pakistan is more involved in Afghanistan than any other country and would remain so for the foreseeable future whether anyone likes it or not. If NATO couldn't get Pakistan out of Afghanistan, what makes anyone think that a country like India could? Pakistan has assets on the ground in Afghanistan and they would remain there in the future. It is good that India is invited to the conference since they have made many economic investments in Afghanistan. But make no mistake, Pakistan would not consider any Indian involvement in the security situation of Afghanistan, regardless of what the Kabul government has in mind.

Siddiq Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply @Tony Singh: Invitation does not mean acceptance. :)

Asif | 9 years ago | Reply @Hari Om: Excluding Heart of Asia, most Afghan conferences and table talks in the past have generally excluded India. Involvement or non-involvement of India is not a big deal and I don't see any evidence for the venue being shifted out of Pakistan just because of India not being invited. India's non-involvement wouldn't hamper the agenda of the conference as it's role is not as important like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and some other regional countries, and there is no country (such as US) in the list of attendees who would pressurize upon attendance of India. Besides, it is unlikely that India will send a delegation to Pakistan. Pakistan has a pretty justified case not to invite India anyway but looks like it chose to overlook that for the time being and extend the courtesy.

Sandip | 9 years ago | Reply @Siddiq Ahmed: Great game should be played by great powers. When a pygmy plays it, he turns into a beggar, losing whatever little he has. As has been amply demonstrated in this case.

HG | 9 years ago | Reply Now Indian FM must demand meeting with Balochi & Mohajir due to human right crisis. Demand removal of Army & ranger from Balochistan & karachi altogether, scrap NAP,Army court etc. India has right to interfere in Pakistan's internal matter as they do in Kashmir or cry wolf for Indian Muslim.

DudeFromDC | 9 years ago | Reply The reason Pakistan grudgingly invited India is because Afghanistan is closest and most respectful toward India out of all the other so-called "Heart of Asia" countries ( Tajigistan, Kyrgistan, Azerbaijan etc discussing on Afghanistan, Really?? ). India is the only one among others who can influence Afghanistan positively. Hard to accept for Pakistanis, but it is what it is. Pakistan nor India sees this as an oppurtunity to melt the proverbial ice here. India will attend this conference ( FM herself may not) .

Pea Brain | 9 years ago | Reply @ ALL: Guys tone down the melodrama. Your banter makes international politics sound like some mediocre subcontinental drama. Spare this conference your abject domestic, middle-class, subcontinental, mediocre complexion.

Shakti | 9 years ago | Reply @sanaa: When did Russia and China ever do what Pakistan wanted? Stop overestimating Pakistan.

JSM | 9 years ago | Reply @Someone: Sir I agree with you. I hope India declines.

khattak | 9 years ago | Reply Such an irony of fate, expecting peace in Afghanistan from Pakiistan & taliban.

Hari Om | 9 years ago | Reply @Someone: India is one of the 14 countries that is part of the Heart of Asia group. Pakistan has NO CHOICE but to either invite India or risk the meeting venue getting shifted out of Pakistan. Pakistan's views on courtesy towards India or view on India's role in Afghanistan is irrelevant: http://www.heartofasia-istanbulprocess.af/home/heart-of-asia-countries/

sanaa | 9 years ago | Reply Where is USA? Something does not seem to add up. Are these signs of Pakistan trying to start something new with backing of China and Russia.

Pankaj | 9 years ago | Reply India should refuse this request as Pakistan trained militants are attaching Indians in Afghanistan and Pakistan is keep on raising Kashmir issue in UN. Anyways there will be no outcome of this conference.

Vectra | 9 years ago | Reply @ajeet: Pakistan have not yet accepted Indian role in Afghanistan who said that?? but due to India being one of largest aid donor to Afghanistan both economically and now militarily as well pakiistan had to invite New Delhi because not doing so would have annoyed if not India but Afghanistan.But anyways inviting or not inviting India doesn't change India's position on ground but since pakistan has invited India,India will certainly attend and pakistan invitation is appreciated.

Tony Singh | 9 years ago | Reply @Siddiq Ahmed: Abt @ajeet's comment. Know the difference between "knowing" and "accepting".

Hari Om | 9 years ago | Reply @Someone: India is one of the 14 countries that is part of the Heart of Asia group. Pakistan has NO CHOICE but to either invite India or risk the meeting venue getting shifted out of Pakistan. Pakistan's views on courtesy towards India or view on India's role in Afghanistan is irrelevant. http://www.heartofasia-istanbulprocess.af/home/heart-of-asia-countries/

GKA | 9 years ago | Reply India is not considered a player ? If not then why Pakistan concerns on India's role ?

Junaid | 9 years ago | Reply At last ice is melting. Need to agree on all stack holder of Afghan Peace including India. There is no reason to keep ego that India is not required as India is required by whole world so let us do all that is appreciated by whole world rather than thinking that we are the only one in the world who matters. Good move by Pakistani FM.

Someone | 9 years ago | Reply @Hari Om: The 'question' you are talking about is nonexistent, since India isn't considered a player in Afghanistan and is rarely invited to Afghan conferences. It is up to the host to invite who they want. It's just a courtesy, nothing more. India's participation isn't crucial, unlike Pakistan and some other countries.

Hari Om | 9 years ago | Reply No question of any breaking the ice as implied in the URL as Pakistan was obliged to invite India or face the risk of conference being shifted out of Pakistan as was the case for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference. India must attend and as a matter of courtesy ensure that centrality of Afghan affairs in the Heart of Asia process is respected irrespective of any importuning by hosts Pakistan to dilute focus by bringing up bilateral India-Pakistan affairs during the visit irrespective if it is inside or outside the conference.

Siddiq Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply @ajeet: On the contrary, Pakistan knows fully well about the Indian role in Afghanistan. Pakistan is the country which has the most amount of ground assets in Afghanistan. We are not there smoking hashish. This is just good great game politics which Pakistan has been involved in for decades now.

Prada | 9 years ago | Reply The US has summoned Pakistan's COAS to convey something important it would seem. Let's wait and see what it is.

ajeet | 9 years ago | Reply Nice to see pakistan accepting Indian role in Afghanistan.

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