Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s one-day visit to Kabul did not result in any firm agreements, but did serve as an icebreaker which would lead to positive results for both countries. There are a multiplicity Afghans to stay in Pakistan on the plea of being refugees if they no longer have valid visas. Pakistan is sticking to its April 30 deadline for refugees. Pakistan has observed a link in the two issues, as it has found that TTP operatives use the similarity between Pakistan’s native Pukhtun population and Afghans to hide their nefarious activities, and sees the expulsion s helping ensure that terrorists do not have the room to carry out the activities in the anonymity afforded by a large refugee population. Presumably Mr Dae was able to convey the seriousness of intent of the Pakistan government.
It is important to the government that the TTP be contained, not just because of KP, but also because of Balochistan. When the Taliban returned to power in Kabul, it was gleefully assumed that the Taliban would be under the thumb of the Islamabad government. They were not. Indeed, within the politics of Pakistan, their links to the PTI began to look suspicious, especially with the PTI’s KP government asking for a place at the table. The government also needs to end the save havens for the TTP before they ask their Afghan counterparts to extend their protection to the Baloch separatists with whom, they seem to be allied. Other issues which might disturb relations are Pakistan’s anti-smuggling measures, which need to be buttressed by Afghanistan increasing its control over its borders.
Pakistan must be careful in its dealings with Afghanistan. Mr Dr indicated the inconclusive nature of the present interaction by his invitation for Afghanistan to dome to Pakistan. If a fresh beginning has to be made, then Pakistan must give up the old British Raj attitude which saw Afghanistan as a buffer state between it and the Russian Empire. One reason for trying to get favourable regime in Kabul was to prevent the Afghanistan-India nexus prevailing ever since Independence. That axis showed up most recently during the Jaffarabad Express hijacking, where handlers were in Kandahar. Whatever the past, Afghanistan is still a neighbour, and must be treated as one, not as a colony.
