With the Qatar initiative virtually failed, there are reports that the Afghan government may push for opening an office for the Taliban probably in Turkey or Saudi Arabia. The news about a possible relocation of Taliban Qatar office to another Muslim country comes days after President Karzai’s Islamabad visit, where he urged Pakistani officials to practically cooperate with Afghanistan in the Afghan peace initiative and take concrete steps for supporting the process. According to reports, Karzai has asked Pakistani officials to release top Taliban prisoners and persuade the militant leaders to directly come to negotiation table with the Afghan government. In response to President Karzai’s call, Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif reaffirmed his sincere support to the Afghan peace process, asserting that “Pakistan will continue to extend all possible facilitation to the international community’s efforts for the realization of this noble goal."

With Karzai’s Islamabad visit concluded, the question remained that what the direct impact the trip would have for the stalled Afghan peace process in the near future as the Afghan government is going to make another attempt to kick-start the peace initiative with the aim of direct talks with Taliban leaders. In the wake of the much-publicized trip, the questions hovering in minds were whether it produced any perceptible immediate outcome for Karzai in his efforts for opening a window for negotiations with Taliban. Afghan president believes that the new Pakistani Prime Minister has well intentions regarding peace in Afghanistan; however, the questions exist that is there a political will behind the good-will gestures of Islamabad’s new leadership and does the country’s military back the civil government’s Afghan policy.

Ahead of President Karzai’s trip to Islamabad, there were widespread skepticisms from Afghan political analysts and politicians towards Karzai’s visit of Pakistan and whether it would produce any concrete outcome for the Afghan-led peace efforts. After the Islamabad talks, Afghan officials remained optimistic, saying that Kabul expected a real cooperation from Pakistan and that Pakistani officials would keep their promises made during the Afghan president’s trip to the country. However, Pakistani officials avoided to make specific promises regarding demands of the Afghan delegation for helping Afghanistan in the negotiations with the militant groups, despite that the Pakistani Prime Minister asserted his “strong and sincere supports” for the efforts to bring peace in Afghanistan.

It was clear the two leaders had much in common during their talks. President Hamid Karzai extended his visit for another day to hold further in-depth talks with Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif and other top security officials. The two sides also agreed on the areas of financial and trade cooperation and signed an agreement to develop a hydro-power project on the Kunar River, a sign of sideline progress during the heated negotiations. Despite initial skepticisms in Afghanistan, there are signs of progress as the two sides are trying to reach concrete agreements on the Afghan-led peace negotiations with the Taliban and Pakistan’s involvement in the process.

It was visible that both sides still had their differences regarding the details of future course for the peace talks, which left the two leaders unable of ironing a shared vision for the details of the future efforts to bring the Taliban leaders back on negotiation table. Still, Islamabad’s pledge that it was ready to provide all required support to the international efforts for peace in Afghanistan and other financial and trade agreements were signs of a remarkable progresses in the talks. Commitment of both Afghan and Pakistani leaders to remain engaged and cooperative in the peace efforts has been seen as a positive development in engaging Islamabad in any future peace negotiations with the Taliban.

The fact about Kabul-Islamabad relations is that overcoming the main differences between the two countries and the obstacles ahead of a real partnership in peace efforts needs more time. The promising side of the story is that, unlike the past, now both sides are keen to reach some compromises over the negotiations with the Taliban and resumption of peace efforts in Afghanistan. Afghan officials are determined to make their last-ditch efforts to bring the Taliban leaders back on negotiation table before the NATO withdrawal, and for this, convincing Pakistani leaders to use their influence over the group is the key. And Pakistan has its own stakes in the Afghan peace efforts ahead of the NATO drawdown by the end of 2014. The militant groups in Pakistan are waging a deadly war against the secular government in Islamabad. Pakistan fears that a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan after NATO withdrawal could be detrimental for security of the country too.

Another fact that highlights Pakistan’s crucial role for any future peace efforts is the influence Nawaz Sharif, the new civilian leader of Pakistan, has over the Taliban leadership. Nawaz Sharif, who won the election in a landslide victory in Pakistan’s general election, has posed himself as a powerful civilian leader. Sharif is seen as the one who could exert influence and pressures over the Taliban leadership to enter peace negotiations with the Afghan government. The level of influence Pakistan has on the Taliban has always been subject to debates, but Pakistan accepts that is has some level of influence on the Taliban leadership, and that it will use its influence to help the Afghan peace process.

Following Islamabad talks, there are now reports about a possible relocation of the Taliban office from Qatar to another country, possibly Turkey or Saudi. Seemingly, both Kabul and Islamabad are in contact regarding the issue, suggesting that the two sides may have stepped into joint practical efforts for resuming the stalled peace talks. As the two sides are trying to improve relations and work jointly for peace in both countries, there are increasing optimisms regarding the prospect of future cooperation between Kabul and Islamabad in the process of joint efforts for bringing peace in Afghanistan.