Daily Times

The United States is seemingly more serious about snubbing Russia than on talking peace. Or perhaps the White House has taken fully on board recent assessments by Pakistan Army sources about the helplessness of the US mission in Afghanistan.

Whatever the case may be — skipping next month’s summit is certainly not prudent. For Russia is playing host to all the region’s bigwigs, including China and Iran and even India. This is no small time chitchat but, rather, a serious powwow on establishing peace in Afghanistan. Yet Washington’s absence will leave it looking like a petulant child, sulking over not being consulted on the list of party games that the new host has up his sleeve.

In doing this, Moscow is left to play the role of honest broker. Pakistan, for its part, must demonstrate unequivocally that it backs peace, regardless of which of the two sides takes the lead. Sadly, no one has thought of linking the appointment of a Foreign minister to Islamabad’s participation in all manner of things. Let’s hope the next year brings better luck on this front.

Russia is right to take the lead. For quite simply — the more-than-decade long US presence has spectacularly failed to achieve very much at all. Naturally, Moscow is driven by self-interest. Central Asia, home to vast natural resources, represents its strategic backyard. A backyard that was until recently encircled by NATO. The US permanent military bases in Afghanistan suggest that Washington, too, is driven by long-term regional interests.

The Russian-Sino increasing influence in the region should not be mistaken for a bid for outright control. But rather as a move towards shared influence, fair and square. And Pakistan is right to play ball. The recent will-they-won’t-they speculations regarding the Taliban’s participation are to be expected. Russia and China have shown willingness in having it removed from the UN terror list, a key pre-condition for the group showing up at all. But what must be thrashed out is Islamabad’s response to the demand that all Taliban be released from Pakistani prisons. Recent murmurings suggest that bilateral talks between the two are already underway. Though the matter remains as to whom these prisoners are to be handed over. It also raises the question as to why they are in Pakistani’s custody in the first place. This simply lends credence to claims that our authorities pick up the Taliban for strategic gain — in terms of international headlines most usually — before being allowed to quietly ride off into the sunset to once more take up arms against the Afghan government and residual American forces. If true, this must stop once and for all.

A failure of talks in April is not an option. Not least because that would send entirely the wrong message to Washington. *