Comment: Pakistan is nudging Afghan Taliban on peace talks
Taliban have not yet responded to the call.
(Rahimullah Yusufzai)- Despite presence of NATO and Afghan forces, Pakistan continues to be victim of cross-border terrorists’ attack from Afghanistan.
But the concerning part of deteriorating situation is that terrorists, owing to security vacuum in Afghanistan, have widened the scale of attacks to Mohmand Agency, Bajur Agency and Khyber Agency. Earlier, Chitral, Upper Dir and Lower Dir were recipients of such attacks.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a rugged, porous border of 2,500 km (1,500 miles) and in bid to secure the hard mountainous region, Pakistan has initiated fencing on its side of the border. Terrorists, who fled to Afghanistan, target military personnel and civilians through sniper guns incessantly.
Such acts of terrorism, despite presence of Afghan troops and check posts, accentuate Kabul’s unwillingness to act against the terrorists. This phenomenon further highlights that Ghani’s regime and his western allies are complicit with the Pakistani terrorist groups having sanctuaries in that region and are using them as proxy to mount pressure on Pakistan.
The scale of the attacks would continue to augment with increase in security vacuum on Afghan side. Though, Pakistan has targeted terrorists’ sanctuaries in Afghanistan in the past but this process can’t be practiced on regular basis.
Trump administration, following August-21 tirade, is mounting pressure on Pakistan by contemplating various options like increase in drone strikes, declaring Pakistan a terrorist state and by urging New Delhi to play ‘bigger part’ in Afghan affairs. In retaliatory measures, Pakistan is nudging Taliban along the path to peace talks with Kabul as it considers dialogue only viable solution to Afghan quagmire. According to my information, Pakistan has asked Taliban to hold negotiations while the later have not yet responded to the call.
While overtly rejecting demands of Commander for US Forces and NATO in Afghanistan General John W Nicholson, Pakistan has made it clear that it would not allow Afghan war to spill into Pakistan.
In my opinion, Taliban would only hold talks with America as they (Taliban) consider Ghani-led Kabul regime a ‘weak govt’ unable to implement any accord. Against the backdrop of current situation, it is highly unlikely that Taliban would come to dialogue table, instead they would increase attacks on Afghan and NATO forces.
This article originally appeared in Roznama Dunya.
