Communicating with Kabul

The recent spate of Taliban attacks in Kabul, which have killed at least 140 people, have once again brought relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan to the fore. The Afghan government, as is its wont, has blamed Pakistan for the attacks. Its interior minister and intelligence chief paid a surprise visit to Islamabad on Wednesday where they shared information about militants they believe are based in Pakistan. This is in keeping with Afghanistan’s response to previous attacks. Rather than accept their own culpability in dealing with the situation in the country, the Ashraf Ghani administration has decided to place all the blame on Pakistan. Pakistan is now sending a delegation headed by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua to Kabul where the case that we have been taking action against all militant groups on our soil will be presented; Pakistan is also to offer to conduct a joint investigation into the Kabul attacks. It should be seen as a positive that both countries are keeping the lines of communication open. Previous attacks have been accompanied by far more vociferous accusations from Afghanistan and have also led to the abandonment of important forums like the Quadrilateral Coordination Group. The more positive approach may be due to some pressure from the US since the surprise Afghan visit came almost immediately after US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan urged Afghan leaders to hold bilateral talks with Pakistan.

Janjua will likely present the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity, which was discussed in a meeting of the National Security Committee on Friday. The plan includes measures on border security which have been opposed by Afghanistan in the past. While beefing up the border with walls and extra troops should, in theory, stem the cross-border movement of militants, it also brings a lot of hardship to the thousands of civilians who need to cross the Durand Line for work or family reasons. And Ashraf Ghani is in no mood for compromise right now. He gave a fiery speech after the Taliban attacks where he claimed Pakistan is the headquarters of the group and that the time has now come for the country to take action. There is evidence that individuals from the Afghan Taliban may be hiding out in Pakistan. Equally, the TTP and its allies have also found a safe haven in Afghanistan. Progress in defeating both groups will only be made if Pakistan and Afghanistan can show to each other that they are serious about tackling militant groups that threaten the other country. Neither country will be ready to risk life and limb if they are not confident reciprocal action will be taken. Such cooperation is essential if ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan are ever to be mended.