President Ashraf Ghani traveled to Pakistan to open a new chapter in relations between the two neighbours.
There is talk that relations that have been dark and rocky could be set to change to a partnership based on mutual cooperation and friendship.
President Ashraf Ghani traveled to Pakistan to open a new chapter in relations between the two neighbours.
There is talk that relations that have been dark and rocky could be set to change to a partnership based on mutual cooperation and friendship.
The president who was received at the airport by Sartaj Aziz, the special adviser on foreign affairs, held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and with members of Parliament and security forces. Pakistan’s Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asim Bajwa tweeted Nov 14, “Afghan President in Pak: Security, stability a shared goal. Our security inextricably linked. Long term partnership, border Coord mechanism in focus.”
The president’s two-day visit was on an invitation from Islamabad but he set the tone by extending the call for cooperation to strengthening security and defence ties including cooperation in training and border security.
Relations between the previous government and Pakistan had been frosty at best. Pakistan was blamed for the spurt in attacks led by the Taleban sheltering in the porous border areas, and the government’s failure to start the process of negotiations for a peaceful resolution of conflict in the country. Each time relations hit rock bottom Pakistan would renege on a transit treaty with Afghanistan, making things even harder for people here. For close to four years, Kunar and Nooristan provinces were under almost continuous firing from across the border. Hundreds of people were displaced, forced to leave settlements and move into makeshift camps for the internally displaced as relations between the two neighbours kept worsening despite President Karzai’s many visits to Pakistan. He made at least 20 official visits as president.
In his last days in power Karzai confided that he had not been able to make the slightest difference in changing Pakistan’s support for the Taleban or any of the other persisting problems between the two. He claimed Islamabad had refused to relent unless Afghanistan changed its position on the Durand Line. Kabul has never accepted the line drawn by British colonialists as the international border.
Pakistan was one of three countries that had recognised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taleban regime’s official name for the country). But after the US-led forces ousted the Taleban, Pakistan switched sides, and supported the new rulers of Afghanistan. But unofficially it did nothing to stop many Taleban leaders from sheltering in northern Waziristan and even in big Pakistani cities and continue the war in Afghanistan.
As a result the Afghan viewpoint on Pakistan changed from an ally to an enemy, accused of continuing the war in the country, and aiding the growth of extremism while sabotaging peace talks.
The double-faced game backfired: Afghanistan and its international allies have accepted that Pakistan is a safe shelter for Taleban and Al-Qaeda and it is involved more than any other country in creating insecurity in the region.
New beginning
On his maiden visit to Islamabad President Ghani sought to change international opinion on Pakistan and erase the dark shadow of mistrust between the two neighbours.
Ghani said both Afghanistan and Pakistan are faced by joint threats and opportunities in the regional and international level so there is need that the doubts are cast aside, and lost trust is restored to improve relations.
The spurt of extremism is the main threat for stability and security in both countries. He described it as a “headache” for both. There was need to review policies and regain trust in order to build lasting peace. A start can be made in strengthening economic bridges.
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