Leading role

Following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s highly successful visit to the US, Pakistan has become an even more crucial player in the Afghan peace process and has accepted this role as a means to bringing stability to the region. During his meeting with President Trump, PM Imran Khan asserted that Pakistan has always believed dialogue was the only way forward in Afghanistan and that his country would do everything possible to make ongoing talks a success. Speaking to a Congressional panel, Imran said that persuading the Taliban to come to the table is not an easy matter but Pakistan is determined to play a positive role in achieving this. As was clear during the US visit, Washington has finally come around to accepting the position Imran Khan in particular has adopted from the start: war cannot end the problems of Afghanistan. While President Donald Trump did say his country could have wiped Afghanistan off the map, but chose not to, few will buy this particular perspective given that the US has been engaged in open war in Afghanistan for 18 years. The fact that Washington now agrees talks are necessary finally brings both nations onto the same page.

While Imran Khan is correct in saying it is not easy to persuade the Taliban to talk, especially since many different factions exist within the group, Pakistan has had a relationship with the Taliban since the 1980s and after they came to power in Afghanistan in 1996. This should give it some leverage. Imran also spoke openly about the longstanding policy of strategic depth as a means for Pakistan to avoid a hostile setup on both its eastern and western border. He was also honest in saying this tactic had damaged Pakistan and the country was keen to now abandon it.

The table has been laid in Washington. How things will pan out from here is to be seen. There are still many complications in Afghanistan. These include the refusal of the Taliban to recognise the government in Kabul. The first steps have been taken, but we should remember this will be a long march. Pakistan and Afghanistan have been essentially hostile to each other more often than not. For the US, it is also worth remembering that they in fact played a role in building the Taliban. From this point of honest appraisal there should be movement forward. Pakistan will need to engage not only the Taliban but also the government of President Ashraf Ghani or his successor in order to build peace in Afghanistan. All countries should also remember that the main process of decision-making must lie with the Afghan people so that a solid and longstanding settlement can be put together in that country.