United They Stand
(Mohammed A.R. Galadari)
DESPITE its initial reservations, Kabul has apparently come round to appreciating Islamabad's jirga-decision of engaging with elements believed responsible for the Taleban uprising. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has proposed an elaborate grand jirga of Pashtun tribes from both Pakistan and Afghanistan to decide on what is to be done to tame the Taleban.It appears that the idea was first put forth by Karzai during the lunch meeting between himself and General Musharraf hosted by President Bush, and after initial hesitation, Musharraf agreed. Dear readers, the idea of putting the guns on the back shelf and engaging in debate with "spiritual and intellectual" representatives, that too from the majority Pashtun, is seemingly a step in the right direction. However, a host of complexities still dominate the atmosphere. It does not take much to realise that despite both countries being front-line American allies in the so-called war against terrorism, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain vehemently critical of each other's efforts to stem the tide of terrorism. Both blame the other for the systematic Taleban uprising since the resumption of serious fighting with the arrival of spring earlier in the year. But both countries need to realise that with the US so heavily bogged down elsewhere, and the Republican administration putting focus on restoring order in Iraq to salvage some sort of pride in the November congressional elections, it is up to the two of them to sort out the thing about the Taleban. More so because both Pakistan and Afghanistan stand to lose the most from the bloodshed that the strengthened resistance has brought along with it.Also, the proposed jirga would present the first serious opportunity to engage in negotiations with the Pashtuns, who exercise the greatest influence on both sides of the troubled belt. Therefore, it is in the interest of both Islamabad and Kabul to pursue it with sincerity
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