Weather permitting, Pakistan’s national security advisor Gen (retd) Nasir Khan Janjua will arrive in Kabul on Friday (today) for a tete-a-tete with Hanif Atmar, his Afghan counterpart.
Diplomatic sources say the visit comes on Atmar’s personal invitation to Janjua in what is being seen as a crucial link in the current efforts to repair relations.
Both NSAs are expected to explore ways to further cool down tempers on both sides of the border on the way to resumption of formal dialogue between the two countries.
Dr Omar Zakhilwaal, the Afghan ambassador to Islamabad, too, has been actively wooing his government and Pakistani civilian and military leaders for initiating some confidence building measures to gradually rub off the deep-seated mistrust. He has been keen on the use of businessmen from both sides to steer the dialogue through a joint delegation.
General Qamar Bajwa, the chief of army staff, too, recently told a large group of journalists that he was hopeful for the future. The vibes are positive, and we have achieved a breakthrough, Bajwa confided, adding that he was in regular contact with President Ashraf Ghani and his colleagues.
That foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua accompanied the COAS on all of his visits to Kabul is also indicative of the combined civil-military endeavor to ease off tensions.
Efforts – both on official and private level – have been underway to get the official dialogue, particularly the review of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Issues Contract Agreement (APTICA), which Pakistan says has been stuck in Kabul for nearly two years.
During his interactions with the delegates of a Pak-Afghan Track II initiative on February 28 in Islamabad, Janjua had issued a passionate appeal for reconciliation.
“We have fought for each other. We have fed each other. We can share the bread. We can share anything and everything like brothers and sisters do,” he said, while adding that Pakistan saw a common future with Afghanistan. He also stated that Pakistani universities, colleges, and schools were all available for Afghan youth, urging them to optimally utilise these educational facilities.
The NSA further called for the need to unite in embracing a better future by shunning mistrust. “I think the only option we have for a better future is to drop mistrust,” he told the audience. Preceding Janjua was James Mattis, the US Defence Secretary, who had flown into Kabul two weeks after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani unveiled a plan to open peace talks with the Taliban. Talking to reporters, Mattis said he had seen some changes in Pakistan’s behaviour since Trump blasted the country last year for harbouring Taliban. “There are operations by the Pakistan military that are helping right now, ongoing as we speak,” he said. GHQ’s attempts to woo Taliban into talks with Kabul and the pressure from the Trump administration seem to have generated a new momentum that is likely to lead to a possible resumption of Kabul-Taliban talks.
Published in Daily Times, March 16th 2018.
