Pak-Afghan Relations: Getting closer

For various reasons, historical, cultural, religious and geographical, it is simple common sense that Pakistan and Afghanistan should be living in peace and harmony with each other, sharing a similar worldview and standing together to face challenges that, in the globalised world of today, overlap, in their impact, states in the same region and even beyond. Hopefully, the two countries are moving towards that end, as the outcome of the visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul to Islamabad on Friday suggests. The decision to release another batch of the Taliban in Pakistan’s custody and Mr Rassoul’s assurance that his country sees relations with Islamabad as the most significant in tackling common challenges point to that end. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and her Afghan counterpart held a joint press conference and talked of other steps they had taken to strengthen Pak-Afghan ties. It is advisable here to sound a note of caution; for relations of the two in the past have not been all that rosy to create the confidence that they would, after all, make it. Kabul has somehow had, even till the recent past, a rather estranged, if not antagonistic, posture towards Pakistan. That makes the going tough. Nevertheless, the journey has to be made and for that Pakistan’s consistent policy of extending a hand of friendship must be appreciated. One would like to believe that Afghanistan as well has come to realise that working hand in hand with Pakistan would serve the interests of both the countries. Indeed, it is also the need of the hour. And the present scenario is ideally suited to turn the corner. The Afghan Foreign Minister’s appreciation of the need to leave behind the legacy of the past is one such pointer. Before the foreign troops leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, it is necessary for it and Pakistan to make an all-out effort to bring around Taliban to respond to the call of peace, if ethnic bloodletting that is feared to ensue, post-withdrawal, is to be avoided. Pakistan’s decision to set more Taliban free (nine of them were released earlier) would prove helpful in peace negotiations. The ulema conference to be held in Kabul early next year is a link in the same chain and has Islamabad’s full support; it would urge the Taliban to delink themselves from al-Qaeda and be part of the peace process in the larger interest of the country. The changing face of Pak-Afghan relations is also evident from the two countries’ move to form a strategic partnership. Countries having common borders, with the ethnic Pashtuns crossing freely to both sides, countries that are in the throes of fighting a common enemy, need more urgently than ever to turn the concept of strategic partnership into reality. To smoothen the way, relatively minor issues were also sorted out during the visit of Mr Rassoul, who also met Prime Minister Raja Ashraf and COAS General Kayani. It was decided to extend transit trade to Tajikistan and later to other Central Asian States; effect a phased return of Afghan refugees to their homeland; have a visa abolition agreement for diplomatic passport holders; and take measures to check drug trafficking. Pakistan and Afghanistan are brotherly countries, both need each other to have a peaceful existence. At this point in time, Pakistan has a key role to play in seeing Afghanistan’s smooth transition from a war-torn country to a stable nation. The steps underway are a good sign of the coming closer of the two countries to face these challenges.