Karzai to visit Islamabad with long wish list
09/03/2010ISLAMABAD - Afghan President Hamid Karzai is scheduled to visit Islamabad March 10 — and he could have big plans.
“No doubt this is a crucial visit by the Afghan president to Pakistan, after he announced his plan for reaching out to the Taliban at the London conference”, said Hummayun Khan, former Pakistani secretary of foreign affairs. “He is coming to Islamabad with a big agenda”.
Aimal Khattak, a senior journalist and expert on Afghan issues, said Karzai would be less aggressive than in earlier dealings with Pakistan.
“Unlike in the past, Karzai will be more attentive to Pakistan, as Islamabad has a long list of complaints this time”, Khattak said.
In the past, Afghanistan has pushed Pakistan to dismantle Taliban training centres and hideouts in its tribal belt.
“Recent military operations ... in ... South Waziristan and Bajaur successfully destroyed hideouts and training facilities”, Khattak said.
Analysts predict an emboldened Pakistan to be “frank” with Karzai, now that it has brought tribal territories under government control.
Pakistani leaders will likely focus on their concerns about Afghan Taliban entering Pakistan as they flee the coalition offensive in southern Afghanistan.
After the Marjah operation in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, coalition forces are planning to push further into Kandahar — a Taliban stronghold and seat of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Muhammad Omar.
Pakistani forces have some of Mullah Omar’s associates in custody. They recently arrested about seven senior Taliban leaders and trusted colleagues of Mullah Omar. Most were nabbed in Karachi.
According to Khattak, “Karzai will be definitely asking for the handing over of the arrested Taliban commanders, particularly Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Mullah Kabir, Mullah Salam and Amir Muhammad”.
Pakistan has expressed its desire to transfer the prisoners to their country of origin and talks are reportedly ongoing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, since there is no extradition treaty.
“President Hamid Karzai’s visit will contribute toward further strengthening brotherly ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and deepening and broadening multifaceted co-operation”, the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement before Karzai’s visit.
Hummayun also predicted that Karzai will seek Islamabad’s co-operation in reaching out to moderate Taliban leaders who are willing to talk peace. “The recent arrests of Mullah Omar’s senior colleagues ... showed that Pakistan believed Mullah Omar is not the best pick in the new situation”.
Mullah Omar and his inner circle bristled when Karzai, at the London conference, expressed hopes of reconciling with the Taliban and called on Pakistan to help
Afghanistan realise that goal. Pakistan might also seek discussions about its neighbour and rival, India, and its role in Afghanistan. But Hummayun said, “Karzai won’t even listen to it, as he doesn’t want to stop India in Afghanistan for the benefit of Pakistan”.