The climax of efforts on talks with Taliban with the opening of an office in Doha seems to be culminating on another round of bitter accusations between Kabul and Islamabad. In latest spat, Deputy Foreign Minister Ershad Ahmadi says Pakistan has proposed a federalist power sharing form for conflict resolution in Afghanistan. He reveals that in a meeting between Pakistani foreign advisor Sartaj Aziz and Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, Umer Daudzai in Islamabad, Aziz has proposed a federalist power-sharing agreement in Afghanistan between the government and the Taliban.
He blames that the opening of Doha office has been an engineering of Pakistani security establishment trying to give international legitimacy to Taliban. The proposal involves a form of federalism and ceding power in some provinces to the Taliban. He added, “There are elements within the Pakistani government who have a grand design of using the peace process as a means to undermine the Afghan state and establish little fiefdoms around the country in which the Taliban - its most important strategic asset in Afghanistan - play an influential role”. Ahmadi further blames that the Doha office delegate is being advised by the Pakistan spy agency.
The roots of these accusations seem to have started from the confrontation between the Afghan and Pakistani officials at a trilateral summit hosted by UK PM Cameron in February. Government officials say Pakistan used the occasion to press for a reduction of India’s presence in Afghanistan and a resolution of the disputed Durand Line border, which they say are conditional demands in exchange for Pakistani support for the peace effort.
It is a logical question of international relations that a state cooperates with another state based on mutual interests. Why does the Karzai Administration expect Islamabad to bring the Talibs on table and help with the peace process without bargaining on their own demands? Rather than confrontation and fiery reaction, the government should hold serious dialogue with Pakistan on the give-and-take of the peace process and come to a mutual agreement if it is needed for the purpose of ending the insurgency.
By questioning the reaction of government, we are not suggesting that Islamabad’s demands are legitimate and should be considered. However, the reactionary attitude of the Karzai Administration will produce nothing more than further confrontation. The concerns on Indian presence are baseless and Pakistan should be told in clear terms that Afghanistan can choose its relations with any regional country. However, the security concerns and the Durand Line phenomenon are real issues that need serious attention and the government has to realize it sooner.