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Ashraf Gani's visit to Pakistan: no expectations but there is hope
Afghan President Ashraf Gani has started his first state visit to Pakistan, and during the two-day visit he will meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Among the issues on the agenda are security, economic cooperation and border control.
Afghanistan tells about a "reset" of relations and its determination to establish genuinely honest friendship with Pakistan. However, forecasts are cautious. A member of the Afghan delegation told Associated Press that Afghanistan has no special expectations but has hopes.
Ahead of Gani's visit, Islamabad made a series of conciliatory gestures. Kabul was for the first time offered to hold joint military exercises and provide assistance to train Afghan security service personnel. In all, 29 Afghan citizens were released from Pakistani prisons. Meanwhile, the Pakistani army launched a large-scale operation in the border regions of North Waziristan, the stronghold of extremists.
According to Pakistani analyst Talat Masood, Islamabad wants stable Afghanistan. However, it's no secret that the situation in relations between the two neighbours remains complex. The Taliban militants regularly cross the border and launch attacks on police posts and kill civilians. Clarifying the situation, analysts insist that it is convenient for certain groups in Pakistan to put pressure on processes in Pakistan through the Taliban. Thereby, they want to create counterweight to India which has stroke with Kabul.
Although western forces leave Afghanistan, this will remain unchanged, says expert at the Centre for Contemporary Afghan Studies Nikita Mendkovich.
"Afghanistan's geographic location will remain unchanged, while its position on the stand-off between India and Pakistan is very important. Concerning the Taliban factor, on the one hand, its significance will remain at the previous level for some time, but in the future, it will subside. It is impossible to pursue a policy based on terror indefinitely," Mendkovich said.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited Islamabad in August last year. According to media reports, he hoped for Pakistan's help in establishing a peace dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban movement and intercepting cross border extremist attacks.
Most likely, these topics will be raised during President Gani's ongoing visit to Islamabad, says Mendkovich.
"Afghanistan is well aware that there is conflict between various groups in Pakistan on the issue, including the stand-off between the authorities and the heads of the army and security services. Moreover, there are contradictions at the level of special services too. Most likely, Ashraf Gani will try to explain at the unofficial level with facts in hand, what Islamabad can do or cannot do," Mendkovich said.
Figuratively speaking in the eve of the visit, Gani said at present, the two countries have a small "window" of possibilities of improving relations and promoting cooperation. Kabul would like to see the "window" expand to the size of a "door" and "corridor" and ultimately, turn it into a "spacious highway". Islamabad has also sent definite counter signals. It's too early to say whether the two sides will be able to draft a "roadmap" for normalizing relations. But there are hopes for achieving this.
source:Ashraf Gani's visit to Pakistan: no expectations but there is hope - News - Politics - Russian Radio
Afghan President Ashraf Gani has started his first state visit to Pakistan, and during the two-day visit he will meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Among the issues on the agenda are security, economic cooperation and border control.
Afghanistan tells about a "reset" of relations and its determination to establish genuinely honest friendship with Pakistan. However, forecasts are cautious. A member of the Afghan delegation told Associated Press that Afghanistan has no special expectations but has hopes.
Ahead of Gani's visit, Islamabad made a series of conciliatory gestures. Kabul was for the first time offered to hold joint military exercises and provide assistance to train Afghan security service personnel. In all, 29 Afghan citizens were released from Pakistani prisons. Meanwhile, the Pakistani army launched a large-scale operation in the border regions of North Waziristan, the stronghold of extremists.
According to Pakistani analyst Talat Masood, Islamabad wants stable Afghanistan. However, it's no secret that the situation in relations between the two neighbours remains complex. The Taliban militants regularly cross the border and launch attacks on police posts and kill civilians. Clarifying the situation, analysts insist that it is convenient for certain groups in Pakistan to put pressure on processes in Pakistan through the Taliban. Thereby, they want to create counterweight to India which has stroke with Kabul.
Although western forces leave Afghanistan, this will remain unchanged, says expert at the Centre for Contemporary Afghan Studies Nikita Mendkovich.
"Afghanistan's geographic location will remain unchanged, while its position on the stand-off between India and Pakistan is very important. Concerning the Taliban factor, on the one hand, its significance will remain at the previous level for some time, but in the future, it will subside. It is impossible to pursue a policy based on terror indefinitely," Mendkovich said.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited Islamabad in August last year. According to media reports, he hoped for Pakistan's help in establishing a peace dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban movement and intercepting cross border extremist attacks.
Most likely, these topics will be raised during President Gani's ongoing visit to Islamabad, says Mendkovich.
"Afghanistan is well aware that there is conflict between various groups in Pakistan on the issue, including the stand-off between the authorities and the heads of the army and security services. Moreover, there are contradictions at the level of special services too. Most likely, Ashraf Gani will try to explain at the unofficial level with facts in hand, what Islamabad can do or cannot do," Mendkovich said.
Figuratively speaking in the eve of the visit, Gani said at present, the two countries have a small "window" of possibilities of improving relations and promoting cooperation. Kabul would like to see the "window" expand to the size of a "door" and "corridor" and ultimately, turn it into a "spacious highway". Islamabad has also sent definite counter signals. It's too early to say whether the two sides will be able to draft a "roadmap" for normalizing relations. But there are hopes for achieving this.
source:Ashraf Gani's visit to Pakistan: no expectations but there is hope - News - Politics - Russian Radio
