Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Officials in Pakistan have said that Afghanistan will be the main agenda of the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his forthcoming visit to United States.

U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to Pakistan had invited Qureshi for follow up talks, as the U.S intends to initiate fresh efforts with Pakistan to press for a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, by staying in loop of Americans’ own initiative to reach out to the Taliban office in Qatar.

In his visit to United States, Foreign Minister will hold bilateral talks with Secretary Pompeo at the conclusion of his engagements in New York, where he will represent Pakistan in the UN General Assembly this month.

According to Foreign Office(FO) statement issued at Pompeo’s recent visit to Pakistan, Pakistan and the U.S. had underscored the need for the Taliban to “seize the opportunity for talks” in response to President Ashraf Ghani’s offer for an unconditional dialogue. Both countries had also agreed that present conditions in Afghanistan were conducive to intensifying efforts for a political settlement of the conflict.

On his part, Secretary Pompeo had conveyed the U.S. desire to work with Pakistan in furthering the shared objectives of peace and stability in Afghanistan, the FO had stated.

Qureshi had also confirmed a shift in the U.S. policy and had stated at a presser, “This is insight into their new strategy that the U.S has now opened up space for talks with the Taliban for a political settlement. The US does not want their footprint in Afghanistan for an indefinite time period.”

Foreign Ministry’s officials believe Pakistan’s international role was always there in the Afghan peace process and now U.S and others have also understood the importance of Pakistan for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan. US now seem to be on the way to “overcome its confusion and bias”. According to some officials, Donald Trump’s “unsuccessful” South Asia policy is one of the other reasons behind this reconsideration.

They think that the Trump’s strategy initially was aimed at pressurising Pakistan to give a major role to India in Afghanistan, but that did not work, and now the U.S Secretary of State not only came to Pakistan, but also invited Qureshi to visit Washington for formal and detailed talks.

“The U.S must understand that we will always be its partner but we also want U.S to address our concerns and do not blame us for the failure of the South Asian strategy as Congressmen and U.S. thinks tanks and the media calls the strategy a flop,” an official told Daily Times.

He said Americans have now invited Pakistan for detailed talks in Washington that means that they have recognised that pressure tactics do not work, and engagement is the only option to work jointly for peace process in Afghanistan.

The official insists that Pakistan’s strength is that it is the only stakeholder having reasonably good working relation with all other critical stakeholders – the U.S, National Unity Government in Kabul and the Taliban.

He told Daily Times that despite Pakistan’s stance that reconciliation with the Taliban is a shared responsibility, Pakistan sincerely wants to use its influence, provided its core security concerns and interests are not “simply overlooked or brushed aside.”

“However, it still remains a ‘war of sincerity of intent’ during hardcore future negotiations about Afghan peace during various stages,” he said, adding that no single actor is in a position right now to subdue the other and that winner will be the one exhibiting best level of sincerity despite pursuing their own interests.

Officials have confided to Daily Times that Pakistan has categorically told the Afghan and American leaders that there is clarity of policy and unity among Pakistani civilian and military leadership on all key issues, including Afghanistan.

There is currently a natural inclination and desire of all stakeholders including Afghan government, the Taliban, the U.S, Pakistan and other regional countries hopeful for peace and ending violence and bloodshed in Afghanistan. Pakistanis believe that the future discussions and differences could be tackled with sincerity, political acumen and good diplomatic skills combined, the officials added.

”Islamabad has long been saying that there is a hard learned lesson for everyone in this war and any other solution other than political reconciliation in Afghanistan will not work. But specialist input of politicians, diplomatic military and intelligence experts would be required at all times during the process”, concluded the officials.

Published in Daily Times, September 21^st 2018.