KABUL - President Hamid Karzai concluded a two-day visit to Pakistan where he made a last try to bring Islamabad on board for peace talks with the Taliban and ease tensions ahead of Afghanistan's national elections early next year.
Leading a delegation of key security team, President Karzai extended his visit for another day on Monday evening, after Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged him to stay for another day to discuss in details a plan for negotiations with the Taliban.
"The meetings were friendly. The new government in Islamabad has good intentions, but no agreement was made," said President Karzai's Chief Spokesman Aimal Faizi while returning to Kabul on Tuesday afternoon.
However, it's not sure whether the same intention is shared with the country's powerful military chiefs.
President Karzai's office issued a statement saying they expect Pakistan to put "specific and practical" steps forward to make the peace talks bear fruit.
On Monday, Mr Karzai met with Mr Sharif for an hour-long one-on-one discussion, which was followed by general comments to the press without taking any questions.
But, the two governments signed an agreement to enhance economic opportunities, what Mr. Sharif as an industrialist is more interested, especially when his country is facing a growing energy crisis. Kabul and Islamabad signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a water dam in Kunar River, which can potentially produce hydropower energy for both countries.
President Karzai was flown to Nawaz Sharif's residence in the touristic town of Murree, where he laid out his plan and made his requests, which included release of key Taliban prisoners from Pakistan custodies – what Karzai believes is a good confidence building measure to encourage the Taliban to come to the negotiation table.
Islamabad has not made any concrete agreement at this stage on any of the suggested items of discussions, but pledged to continue the talks.
The Afghan leader was making his 20th trip to Pakistan in the last ten years and he is apparently not making any requests which are new to most Pakistani leaders, mainly the military chiefs, who are known to have contacts and influence with the Taliban.
"It's good to engage with Pakistan when we have elections in less than a year time," said a senior member of President Karzai's delegation, who wished not to be named. "Having minimum contacts with Pakistan means more volatile elections." (Tolo news)