Tri-nation summit in Islamabad tailored for Zardari’s audience
Just before Karzai left Kabul for the Pakistani capital, he said that he thought the Taliban was “definitely” interested in a settlement. “People in Afghanistan want peace, including the Taliban,” he told the Wall Street Journal. And he went on to say that Pakistan must use its influence with the Taliban. But Pakistan is unwilling to play ball with Karzai. ‘. They (Afghan government) have been wanting us to facilitate something. .?.?. We want complete clarity as to what that thing is,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar told reporters in Islamabad on the eve of the summit. On his part, Karzai is clearly keeping off the Qatar channel. He is not ruling out talks with Taliban though. For him, the venue for these talks should either be Saudi Arabia or Turkey.
Iran has a vested interest in Afghan peace. It was one of the champions of Northern Alliance, which will not like to see the Taliban emerge in Kabul through the backdoor. More over, Tehran has trade and energy interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan; it can only hope that Islamabad will pull up courage to stand up to the American. But this is one of the greatest ifs of unfolding history because the Pakistani establishment is yet in no mood to throw off the American yoke.
So the significance of the Islamabad summit will be no more than the fact that three nations had taken the first tentative step to come closer ignoring the lengthening shadows of the Big brother.
Ends
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