The
Security Council meeting in Brussels where Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff
General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani inserted a crucial proviso in the peace plan and
favoured an “Afghan-owned and Afghan-led” reconciliation process – reminding the
world that Pakistan’s support will be subject t to the peace process not being
harmful to its interests. Our focus also includes the 7thTrilateral Summit of
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey held at Ankara on December 12, 2012 where the
three heads of state expressed their resolve to combat terrorism and other
regional challenges through concerted efforts. Both the events brought to focus,
among other things, Pakistan’s pivotal contribution for the Afghan peace
process, giving Islamabad its due credit for taking steps to facilitate peace
in Afghanistan and the US withdrawal by 2014. (a) Pakistan has released
the Taliban prisoners on the requests of the High Peace Council of Afghanistan
and Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul after they visited Pakistan
recently, to facilitate negotiations between the good Taliban and the Kabul
government. (b) Pakistan has shown its willingness to organize a Joint Ulema
Conference in Afghanistan in January this year to denounce militancy and
suicide bombing in the name of religion. (c) The presence of both the Chief of
Army Staff and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan at the Brussels Conference
indicated that Pakistan is ready to reconcile with the international players towards
the post-2014 situation in Afghanistan. (d) Pakistan has shown flexibility in
showing its willingness to seek a strategic partnership agreement with
Afghanistan, somewhat similar to that the latter has already signed with the US
and India.
At the same time Pakistan desires that after 2014 there should be no security, or power, vacuum left in Afghanistan, a fact that has been recognized by the world community as well. While NATO is ready to engage Pakistan in a strategic partnership agreement, the European Union is also engaging it for five years in socio-economic areas. The EU is also offering the Autonomous Trade Preferences (ATPs) to Pakistan, a gesture that conveys to Pakistan the EU countries’ resolve to help settle the Afghanistan conundrum. Turkey has offered to host a Pak-Afghan summit to remove mutual mistrust, as the Karzai government takes every opportunity to put blame on Islamabad for any act of terror inside Afghanistan. Despite all the sincere efforts made by Pakistan and its security forces, as enumerated above, Islamabad is cognizant of the fact that the world community would put the blame if it failed to withdraw forces from Afghanistan within the given deadline. Thus, the “peace roadmap” offers some hope of a negotiated settlement, and this is what ought to be our aim for the year 2013. Realizing that a peaceful settlement is the best way forward, all stakeholders – both regional and international – need to consolidate their efforts that lead towards a peaceful and progressive South Asia.
At the same time Pakistan desires that after 2014 there should be no security, or power, vacuum left in Afghanistan, a fact that has been recognized by the world community as well. While NATO is ready to engage Pakistan in a strategic partnership agreement, the European Union is also engaging it for five years in socio-economic areas. The EU is also offering the Autonomous Trade Preferences (ATPs) to Pakistan, a gesture that conveys to Pakistan the EU countries’ resolve to help settle the Afghanistan conundrum. Turkey has offered to host a Pak-Afghan summit to remove mutual mistrust, as the Karzai government takes every opportunity to put blame on Islamabad for any act of terror inside Afghanistan. Despite all the sincere efforts made by Pakistan and its security forces, as enumerated above, Islamabad is cognizant of the fact that the world community would put the blame if it failed to withdraw forces from Afghanistan within the given deadline. Thus, the “peace roadmap” offers some hope of a negotiated settlement, and this is what ought to be our aim for the year 2013. Realizing that a peaceful settlement is the best way forward, all stakeholders – both regional and international – need to consolidate their efforts that lead towards a peaceful and progressive South Asia.
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