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With no intra-Afghan peace agreement in sight, the existing fault lines between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States – the three key players in the peace process – appear to be widening.
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At the inaugural session of the Pak-Afghan bilateral dialogue, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s honest and sincere role in the Afghan peace process amid reports of the visit of Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis in Washington.
Calling it a shared responsibility, Qureshi took a relentless tone while dismissing Pakistan’s responsibility if things go wrong in the Afghan peace process.
If the goal of going to Washington is to start a new blame game and hold Pakistan accountable for all evil [in Afghanistan] and the lack of [progress in the peace] process, then that won’t help, he said.
Amid reports of a growing rift between the Afghan government and Pakistan, Qureshi pointed to the multiple meetings where Afghan leaders from “all ethnic groups” had been invited to Islamabad to send the clear message Pakistan wanted. engage with all communities and ethnic leaders. that matter and are important for peace and reconciliation ”.
The EurAsian Times previously reported that the foreign minister blasted Afghan national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib for his insulting remarks against the country.
The Pakistani dilemma
A complete US withdrawal had put Pakistan in a difficult position with negotiations stalled at both ends.
Amid accusations of malicious elements causing unrest in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area, Pakistan’s foreign minister reassured Afghan attendees that Pakistan is a friend and remains committed to building bridges instead of “Sowing the seeds of dissent”.
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“Trust us when we say that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s interest,” he added.
Qureshi spoke of the changing realities with an increase in violence and the scale of militant activity and admitted the possibility of civil war in the absence of a peace agreement.
Pakistan is wary of a powerful Taliban extending its footprint in the border state. A Taliban-led government is likely to tackle Pakistan’s instability and challenge its national security.
“I, as the elected representative of Pakistan, do not want to see the ‘Talibanization’ of Pakistan,” said Qureshi, dismissing accusations that Pakistan is not doing enough to contribute to the Afghan peace process and has a hidden agenda. to bring the Taliban to power. .
A rushed exit?
In light of the United States’ decision to withdraw from Afghanistan after two decades, the September 11 deadline in Bidens has been widely criticized by security experts and analysts.
Calling the propaganda victory the deadline and a disaster ahead, the ad received a mixed response from members of the US Congress.
We must be able to assure the world and the American public that Afghanistan will not be a source of planning, of plotting to project terrorist attacks around the world, said Democrat and Senator Jack Reed.
In the landmark deal between the Taliban and the United States signed last year under President Trump, the United States agreed to withdraw its troops by May 1, 2021, in exchange for assurances given by the United States. Taliban not to attack the United States and its allies.
The United States has nearly 3,500 troops stationed across the country as well as 7,000 NATO troops who assist and train Afghan regiments.
However, since the signing of the agreement, there has been a significant increase in Taliban attacks on US bases, Afghan security forces and civilians. This is one of the reasons for an accelerated withdrawal exercise, as foreign military forces fear being caught in the midst of a brewing civil war.
Afghanistan is reportedly preparing non-Taliban militant groups to help Kabul forces resist Taliban advances in the post-withdrawal phase. These groups are known locally as the mujahedin or public uprising forces.
On the flip side, reports suggest that terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are gaining a foothold in the tribal and wilder areas. There could be a return to near greenhouse conditions for the next generation of counterterrorism threats, said John Raine, security expert at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
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Meanwhile, talks with Pakistan over military bases for the purpose of intelligence gathering and protection of the embassy and its US citizens appeared to have hit a wall, as reported by the Eurasian Times. Ignoring the advice of his military advisers, who wanted to maintain a troop unit present to support Afghan security forces and counterterrorism missions, Biden called for a complete withdrawal.
With continued uncertainty and multiple obstacles to peace negotiations, a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is likely to have ripple effects across the South Asian region. The Russians and Chinese also fear the wider repercussions of the conquest of Central Asia by extremist groups.
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