Afghan President Hamid Karzai will arrive in Islamabad on Monday on a one-day trip to discuss the frayed ties with Pakistan and seek release of Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Barader as a confidence building measure.
Ties between the two countries nosedived after Pakistan and the US supported a Taliban office that opened in Doha in June to foster talks and also over a reported statement by Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz that Kabul should cede some provinces to Taliban for lasting peace. Aziz reportedly proposed this to Afghan ambassador Umer Duadzai in a meeting in Islamabad in June.
Confirming the visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said the Afghan president would be accompanied by a high-level delegation of cabinet ministers and senior officials. "This will be the first highest-level exchange between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the democratic transition and swearing-in of the new government," said Chaudhry.
"Karzai's visit will carry forward this process of constructive engagement between the two countries." Sharif has set out an agenda of improving ties with all neighbours and he spoke at least thrice to Karzai since taking office in June. The two leaders will have in-depth consultations on all issues of common interest, including the evolving situation in the region as well as ways to deepen and broaden Pakistan. Chaudhry said peace and stability in Afghanistan are in Pakistan's vital interest and his country has extended consistent support for the promotion of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
"Pakistan remains committed to working with Afghanistan as well as regional and international partners for sustainable peace and development," he said.
Karzai visit comes at a time when Afghanistan is undergoing important political and security transitions and the draw-down of western troops by December 2014. Pakistan wants some sort of political settlement between Kabul and Taliban to avoid a civil war scenario at its restive border. But there is pervasive suspicion about Pakistan's long term objective and role of its secret ISI agency in backing the Taliban.
Islamabad also allegedly torpedoed an effort by Kabul to hammer a deal with the rebels by arresting Barader from Karachi in 2010. Karzai has asked Pakistan to release him to show earnestness towards peace.
Apart from Pakistan, US also hates solo peace flight of maverick Afghan President who is believed to be a liability in the western world due to his several times sever criticism of their policies towards his countries. Pakistan also want to build trade ties with Afghanistan which had already reached USD 2.44 billion in 2012. The balance in highly in Pakistan's favour with USD 2.24 billion exports. The two countries also signed the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) in 2010, which serves as a key instrument for the facilitation of Afghanistan's access to foreign markets through Pakistani sea-ports and land routes.
Both sides are engaged in efforts for optimal utilisation of APTTA and its extension to Central Asia. Pakistan has been involved in reconstruction activities in the war torn countries and been providing bilateral assistance worth USD 330 million in diverse fields including infrastructure, health and education.
Pakistan has also offered USD 20 million for the Afghan National Security Forces. Over 7,000 Afghan students are currently studying in Pakistan including 2,000 on fully-funded scholarships. More than 30,000 Afghan graduates from Pakistani institutions are now contributing to Afghanistan's national development.
Peace in Afghanistan is vital for regional countries as its will help to materialise projects like Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000).
Comments
0 comment