Amidst sparked controversies between two neighboring countries Pakistan and Afghanistan on the ground of artillery shelling, as recently Afghan senate members strongly condemned and reacted to barrage, which has caused internal migration of tens of Afghans in the Nouristan and Paktiya provinces, Pakistan official have reiterated on warm and friendly relationship between two countries.
On Thursday, Sept. 29, in All Parties Conference (APC) held in Prime Minister's house in Islamabad, high-ranking officials clearly showed interest to boost up relation with Kabul government.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, inter-service intelligence (ISI), Director-General Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and representatives of more than 55 political parties attended the conference that lasted for several hours.
No doubt, Pakistan and Afghanistan have always emphasized on friendly bilateral relationship and deem Taliban and al-Qaeda as the enemy of both countries. But, meanwhile, the level of suspecion has never been scaled down; Kabul consistently doubted about Islamabad's true intention.
In addition, recently USA has intensified pressure on Islamabad to cut ties with all insurgency active on the both side of the border. Previously, it also withheld civil and military financial support to Pakistan in order to pressurize Islamabad to whatever it can to weaken and eliminate insurgent groups from its soil.
The relation has got even further tense as US top officials blamed Inter-Service Intelligence of supporting the Haqqani group, which was behind two damaging attacks in Kabul city: one, on US embassy and the next assassination of former president and chief of High Peace Council, Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani.
In addition, for last few months Washington officials have changed their approach towards Pakistan. What the US is trying to do is not former financial incentive package, but diplomatic and political pressure to force Pakistani government to cut the existing ties with militants and insurgency groups. However, it has large interest in keeping friendship with Pakistan— no matter how Pakistan responds—but ostensibly it wouldn't change its a bit tough policy regarding Pakistan.
On the other hand, Pakistan also needs to maintain its relation because of its huge vested political and economic interests.
The only way that can prove in benefit of Washington, Islamabad and Kabul is cooperation to eliminate insurgency groups that strongly damaged AfPak relations and incurred loss to US involved forces in Afghanistan.
Thus, hopefully Islamabad officials take tougher stance against all insurgency groups within its soil and do not allow them to use its soil as headquarter to attack US and Afghan forces.