ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s offer to Afghanistan for joint investigation into recent terrorist attacks in Kabul helped break the ice at the inaugural session of talks on Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) on Saturday and both sides agreed to carry forward their engagement despite deep-rooted mutual mistrust.

The first meeting on APAPPS framework took place in Kabul on Saturday in which Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai led their respective delegations. The delegations, besides diplomats, also comprised military and intelligence officials.

APAPPS is a Pakistani initiative for cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism and reduction of violence, peace and reconciliation, refugees’ repatriation and joint economic development. The plan enjoys the backing of both China and the US. The commencement of the dialogue on APAPPS is believed to have been made possible through US support.

Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity enjoys backing of both China, US

The current atmosphere in Kabul is extremely anti-Pakistan because of back-to-back terrorist attacks in the Afghan capital in which around 140 people have been killed over the past fortnight and the perception that the Taliban, the main militant group that also claimed of couple of these strikes, is operating from Pakistan.

The public reaction in Afghanistan to the initiation of dialogue on APAPPS, as seen on their mainstream and social media, was therefore angry. People were expecting Pakistani delegation to have come with response to the queries and information shared with them during the visit of Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief Masoom Stanekzai to Islamabad earlier in the week. However, to their surprise their government was contemplating the start of an engagement process with Pakistan.

The confusion had started because Mr Stanekzai had in a presser on his return said that a “security delegation” was coming from Pakistan as a follow-up to his and interior minister’s visit and it would come along with responses to questions given to Islamabad regarding the Taliban planning attacks in Afghanistan from its soil.

A Pakistani official, speaking on the background, said the attitude of the Afghan side at the meeting was “not as bad as expected”. The joint press statement on the meeting, however, noted that meeting was held in a cordial environment and both delegations made some progress on the APAPPS.

“There are still important areas to be discussed and agreed upon, and both sides remain committed to continuing their discussions to reach an agreement on the APAPPS,” the statement said.

Secretary Janjua in her remarks at the meeting offered joint investigation into the terrorist attacks and called for an end to blame game. She suggested that both sides should engage in concrete cooperation.

She also sought Kabul’s support for strengthening border management on the Afghan side and action against anti-Pakistan terrorists having sanctuaries on Afghanistan’s soil.

The next meeting has been scheduled for Feb 9 and 10 in Islamabad. The meeting would not only be about APAPPS, but would also discuss Afghan allegations that attacks were planned by the Taliban from Pakistan’s soil.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2018