On Friday, Pakistan moved a step ahead of its usual stance on Afghanistan by urging the Afghan insurgents groups to join the peace and reconciliation process of Afghan government. Since long, Pakistanis stance has been: "We want peace and prosperity in Afghanistan, as a stable Afghanistan is in our best national interest." They have been saying, "Pakistan is a part of solution; not a part of problem." There is no doubt that a stable Afghanistan is vital for Pakistan's economy and security.
International community and Afghan government eye regional countries, including Pakistan to play a wider role in ending the ten year US war in Afghanistan through negotiation with Taliban. This is in spite the fact that fingers are pointed by Afghan political pundits at our neighbors for playing a negative role in the three-decade-long Afghan war. If Pakistan has realized that importance of a peaceful Afghanistan, one can positively see the future of both the nations in efforts aimed ending the war in Afghanistan.
This is probably the first time that a Pakistani authority comes forward and calls upon the insurgents to join the peace process initiated by Afghan government and is backed by western countries. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has appealed to the Taliban leadership and other Afghan groups, including Hizb-e-Islami, to participate in an intra-Afghan process for national reconciliation and peace.
"It is now time to turn a new leaf and open a new chapter in the history of Afghanistan. It is time to now combine the strengths of the Afghan people in a true spirit of our noble religion, Islam, and in accordance with the glorious traditions of Afghans to build peace and bring prosperity to Afghanistan," he said.
The statement looks quite charming. But historically Taliban have been stubborn. Many say such requests from Taliban would yield no positive results. Yet, if Pakistan cooperates sincerely towards bringing peace to Afghanistan, Taliban have nowhere to go except coming to the table talks. Gilani said, "It is our sincere hope that the Taliban leadership, Hizb-e-Islami and all other Afghan political leaders will respond positively to my appeal and agree to enter into direct negotiations in the framework of an intra-Afghan process for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan."
Already the Taliban have agreed upon opening a political office in Qatar. This is being seen as a pivotal development towards bringing peace to Afghanistan through negotiation and reconciliation and Pakistan has it will support the process.
President Karzai has been giving resembling statements since the last couple of years, but all has hit deaf ears. Time and again, he has called upon Taliban to renounce violence and join a normal Afghan society by accepting the constitution of Afghanistan.
Even Karzai called Taliban as his 'annoyed brothers' at the cost of annoying so many other Afghans. But Taliban have continued practicing violence, paying no damn attention to the calls of Karzai. Last year certain Afghan political figures, including Karzai's own brother, were assassinated by them. It is yet to be seen that how Taliban and Hizb-e-Islami groups respond to the current call of Prime Minister Gilani.
What has been the complaint of President Hamid Karzai from Pakistan is that it is not assisting his government in talking to Taliban. Gilani's statement, though appreciable, will do little to fulfill what Karzai expects from Pakistan. The Afghan government believes that it is the Pakistani authorities who control the Taliban leadership as many of Taliban leaders, including Mullah Muhammad Omar, are said to be hiding in Pakistan. Nonetheless, Pakistan denies this.
Based on what he believes, Hamid Karzai, during his recent visit to Islamabad, demanded Pakistan to deliver Mullah Omar to negotiation table. This caused the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar to react. "If you have unrealistic, almost ridiculous expectations, then you do not have common ground,'' said Khar. Khar said any expectation that Pakistan can deliver the Taliban's chief for talks is "not only unrealistic, but preposterous.''
One can say with surety that Pakistan's response would be harsher if the US had demanded Pakistan to hand over Osama bin Laden to it, although Osama was found and killed on Pakistan land last year.
The Pakistani Prime Minister's statement shows his confidence as he hopes that Taliban and Hizbi-e-Islami will see his call with respect and will start negotiations with Afghan government. But what about Pakistan itself? The Pakistani province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has passed a bloody week as several attacks were launched by Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistan should better feel the pain of Afghans as it facing resembling insurgency. Now is the time for both the nations to cooperate more in order to fight common challenges ahead of them. They need stop blame games and concentrate on countering growing extremism and terrorism, if they are to save their future. As the international troops are set withdraw by the end of 2014, regional countries including Pakistan should be allowed to play more roles in peace, reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. Only a peaceful and stable Afghanistan can benefit better security in the region and the world.