Daily Times

Pakistan’s grandstanding has paid off. By standing firm and refusing to re-open its border crossings with Afghanistan — it succeeded in dragging its neighbour to the negotiating table, with Britain playing the honest broker.

The government has played its hand well. In unilaterally sealing its border, it reminded Kabul that the most pressing issue remains that of militant safe-havens. Similarly, it highlighted the absurdity of expecting Pakistan to fully participate in the peace process when neither the Afghan government nor the Taliban have proved themselves ready to even talk the talk. And last but not least, it was a timely reminder that the two must deal with each other on equal footing, without either India or the US being conjured up as evidence of political cuckolding.

But this is not to let Pakistan off the hook. It can start by actively addressing Kabul’s fears that its territory serves as a strategic launching pad for both the Afghan Taliban the Haqqani network to hit hard back across the border.

Only then can Pakistan and Afghanistan sincerely sit down and focus on resetting the bilateral relationship in terms of trade and transit routes. While doing all this, both sides would do well to keep in mind that their routine fallings out go against the spirit of friendship and cooperation espoused by civil society from both sides. One such cross-border grouping is the Islamabad-based Beyond Boundaries. This private initiative comprises entrepreneurs and their warning could not be more pertinent. Namely, that while Islamabad and Kabul are wasting time on endless rounds of tit-for-tat manoeuvres — the region is moving on, preferring to do business with more reliable partners such as Iran and Central Asia. Islamabad and Kabul must get serious about peace if they wish to see a return to bilateral and transit trade levels that hit $2.5 million back in 2010.

The next few months are crucial for the region. Pakistan must play its due role in facilitating a peace deal within Afghanistan. Instability in the region will affect the country’s future. At the same time, Afghanistan should assure Pakistan’s security interests would not be compromised. This is where PM Nawaz Sharif, along with military commanders, has to show leadership and take Pakistan’s political forces into confidence in forging a national strategy for the region. The national security committee is the appropriate forum to deliberate the future roadmap. *