[DAWN] NATIONAL Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz...Adviser to Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on National Security and Foreign Affairs, who believes in
goodjihadis and
badjihadis as a matter of national policy...
's visit to Kabul
...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title
Most Evil Man in the Worldand didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either....
was not expected to produce any breakthroughs -- and that is what appears to have happened. Yet, these meetings are important in that they help both sides address issues face-to-face and there is surely a need for a great deal of frank and open discussion between the Pak and Afghan governments at the moment. What is worrying though is that President Ashraf Ghani
...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. ..
still continues to publicly jibe at Pakistain. While that may improve Mr Ghani's standing at home, it may end up hardening the Pak position when it comes to dealing with his government. The two country's security fates remain very much intertwined. As has become apparent, the military operations in Fata, particularly Zarb-e-Azb
..the Pak offensive against Qaeda in Pakistain and the Pak Taliban in North Wazoo. The name refers to the sword of the Prophet (PTUI!)...
, dislodged snuffies from the Pak side of the border, but in many cases caused them to move to the Afghan side. At least in part, the surge in krazed killer violence in Afghanistan over the past year is linked to that phenomenon. As for Pakistain, the sanctuary that anti-Pakistain, TTP snuffies have found in Afghanistan will likely be a source of long-term trouble. If Afghanistan and Pakistain do not cooperate, both will hurt. This is something they must understand.
More confusing though is quite where the possibility of a resumption of talks between the Afghan Taliban and Kabul stands. Is it simply that talks cannot resume because of intra-Taliban trouble or is that the Afghan government is also baulking at talks resuming at the earliest, perhaps in a fit of pique because of the spate of attacks in Kabul? President Ghani needs to reassess his position on talks soon. As has now been proved, Pakistain can and will nudge the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table -- but surely only if there is a willing negotiating partner on the other side of the table. It may not make sense to Pak policymakers to expend capital with the Taliban insisting that they remain open to talks immediately if Kabul itself is not ready to resume dialogue right away. Yet, Pakistain should also understand the core of Mr Ghani's complaint -- he cannot be seen to be trying to make peace with the Taliban if they are violently attacking Kabul. Perhaps a fresh round of border management steps and improved intelligence coordination could go some way in restoring trust. The two states have several options to help stabilise ties quickly.