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WASHINGTON: The United States and Pakistan have worked together in arranging a temporary ceasefire in Afghanistan, hoping that it would jump-start the Afghan reconciliation process, official and diplomatic sources told Dawn.
At a Thursday afternoon seminar, a senior US official confirmed that Washington was pursuing “multiple lines of effort” for bringing peace to Afghanistan and an important component of that effort was to ensure that Pakistan played “a constructive role” in it.
“We have asked for Pakistan’s assistance in facilitating a peace process,” said Lisa Curtis, a senior adviser to the US president.
Trump’s adviser Lisa Curtis says Islamabad’s assistance has been sought
“And we have sought to understand Pakistan’s own core security concerns and ensure that its interests are taken into account in any peace process.” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that US and Nato troops in Afghanistan will also observe this truce and there will be no attack on the militants if they do not breach the ceasefire arrangement.
Pakistan’s role in the ceasefire was also discussed at a news briefing by a senior administration official in Washington. “We’re certainly hopeful that both the Taliban and those … or countries that have some degree of influence with the Taliban will equally support this limited duration ceasefire,” he said.
At this news briefing, called hours after Secretary Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence spoke to Pakistani leaders, journalists pointed out that while Washington and Islamabad present the ceasefire as an Afghan initiative, people in Afghanistan believe that it was pushed by the Americans and the Pakistanis.
The senior administration official avoided getting into a discussion over what role did the US and Pakistan play in arranging the ceasefire. Ms Curtis said that an important component to catalysing a peace process in Afghanistan was ensuring that Pakistan also stayed engaged.
“We have to be clear that Pakistan’s interests are not served by a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan,” she said in her keynote address at a Washington think-tank, the US Institute of Peace. “Pakistan has a fundamental responsibility to address the use of its territory by these malign actors.”
Explaining the new US approach towards Pakistan, Ms Curtis said: “One can acknowledge Pakistan’s complex security calculus without absolving it of its responsibility to do something of these malign actors.”
Responding to the Taliban position that they would hold direct talks with the US, not with the Afghan government, she said: “The US is ready to participate in the discussion, but we cannot serve as a substitute for the Afghan government and the Afghan people.”
Pakistan was once a key ally in the US-led war against terror but relations between the two countries began to strain after Washington raided Osama bin Laden’s den in Abbottabad in 2011, without informing Islamabad.
The Trump administration’s new South Asia strategy, which blames Pakistan for continued fighting in Afghanistan, further strained the relations. And in January this year, the US suspended its security assistance to Pakistan and later the two countries also imposed travel restrictions on each other’s diplomats.
That’s why Thursday’s telephone calls — from Mr Pence to the caretaker prime minister and from Mr Pompeo to the Pakistan army chief — were seen in both Washington and Islamabad as the first major move towards improving the strained relations.
“The United States appears to be easing public pressure on Pakistan in a bid to encourage the country to help promote peace and reconciliation with the Taliban to bring an end to the war in Afghanistan,” observed the official Voice of America radio.
Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2018
Comments (36) Closed
Pakistan must negotiate with strength and not from a position of weakness. Must keep its interests front and center. It’s about time to stop being bullied by a superpower.
Why is Pakistan going to work with US again?
I think USA has realized that without active participation of Pakistan peace talk with some factions of talibaan is not possible so they are approaching the military of Pakistan to help them in peace negotiation good move hopefully both parties will stick to this.
US is stuck in an Afghan quicksand. It's not wise to threaten the only country holding the rope. Pressure doesn't work on Pakistanis.
The route to Afghanistan, be it access to the US or to peace, goes through Pakistan. The US knows it quite well but can't stop pretending that Pakistan does not matter.
India is probably very unhappy. They have used afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan for the past 2 decades!
Two big elephants in the region and in the region are India and US.
Start by withdrawing US forces and reducing India influence in Afghanistan.
Afghans will never accept any peace brokered by US and India and exclude the people of Afghanistan.
Presence of US is destabilizing Afghanistan. Promoting India in the region is destabilizing Afghanistan.
“We have to be clear that Pakistan’s interests are not served by a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan”.
Let Pakistan decide how it's interests are served.
US must realize that Pakistan will do what it takes to serve its interests and its in Pakistans interest that there be peace in Afghanistan. However, USA has its own interests and it appears peace is not the one! If USA believes their exit from an illegal occupation leaves Afghanistan in termoil then its their own take on it! People who are fighting the occupation forces are Afghans and for reconciliation they have to be integrated into Afghan Government. USA persues its own interests there and leaving Afghanistan is not a priority.
No more USA till you do more.
Pakistan: Keep good relations with everyone, learn lessons from the past, have some self respect, and look after your own interests first please.
Why Pakistan is being dragged into Afghanistan peace process when the war was actually started by the Americans!!
This all sounds too good. We all know what the reality is
No matter how many summits, meetings, between US, Pakistan, Afghanistan takes place, peace is nowhere in sight.
Americans now will be demanding more and telling FATF is coming up and it is now up to them to accept your FATF plans or go to blacklist. IMF will also be needed and without US vote no more IMF loans. Right now running country on commercial loans and on which no country can run. Time is running out, do the right thing or suffer too much.
I find these periodic pronouncements and claims so laughable, especially when coming from the only Super Power.
US Foreign Policy and International Relations are on life support. Under Trump, all sorts of relationships and alliances have been trashed and damaged to such an extent that the world is looking at a chaotic and unpredictable administration spreading chaos and uncertainity all around, while makiing her closest friends nervous and apprehensive.
There wouldn't be a need to 'jump start' anything, if it hadn't, time and again, crash and returned to square one, due to one side bullying, threatening and blackmailing the other. Pakistan has taken enough nonsense and bullying from the US over the past many decades. It is time we learn lessons from history and not repeat the same mistakes of trusting the US - that even her NATO and G7 fellow-members are distancing themselves from.
Only after Trump administration is gone, will we see some consistency in US relations with Pakistan.
We should not help the US. Remember how it hurt us with FATF and stopping all financial cooperation. How can they act against us and still want our help? Unreal.
The Talibans have problems with the USA's occupation of their land, and it has nothing to do with Pakistan and here, Pakistan cannot do anything
Good that Pakistan has agreed to do more
@Ali Kazmi : well said.
@ali Indian consulate in Kabul was attacked numerous times. Who was behind?
Do not trust war mongering US. They cannot be trusted.
Humiliating Pakistan is part of us strategy for India on public platform but they don't understand the long term ramifications on international affairs.
Unfortunately our political leaders are so self centered that they bowdown quickly.
@ali India has done what India had to do , look at pakistan's growth in last 2 decades, pakistan wanted to do a " Soviet" on us instead it got close to becoming " iraq" . Now unless it wants to become siriya it should listen to its democratic forces.
pakistan should stay firm on principal stand... should talk on equal terms.. usa need pakistan more than pakistan need usa... we dont need aid , we need respect...
U.S should be out of it that's the matter of Pakistan & Afghanistan So U.S should stay Away from this... This is not actually peace talk this is actually to keep Pakistan engaged in War.
Why do we need to take this headache?
Pakistan should not be a part of this containment (China & Russia)policy of US.
Get ready. It seems that Usa is preparing to play a more dangerous game. I am surprised why our leaders never ever demanded an apology for Abbotabad operation.
US policies are hostile to Pakistan. To put Pakistan on FATF list is US sponsored and supported action. Pakistan shall never work with US on any matter.
Pre FATF call, the help sought will help Pakistan, or........
Pakistan must not accept "do more" narrative from the US anymore. Accept our terms or you are on your own.
It is in the interest of Pakistan to have a peace on western front but what about the eastern frontUSA should solve that big problem.
Because of it's dubious, eccentric, unilateral and self-centeted policies and practices all over the world since last 100 years or so, U.S. is badly trapped in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, with no way out. Currently, inspite of all it's efforts, the U.S. doesn't see a viable, honorable, result-oriented and politically correct withdrawl from there. Therefore, It has no other option but to seek direct help and tangible support from the fertile land and great people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, to make the ends meet. Consequently, it's high time and the right time for the "movers and shakers" in Islamabad to stay together and based on the golden principles of unity, faith and discipline, wisely use their current strategic position of clear advantage and "upper hand" in a positive and constructive fashion, keeping in mind the national and streategic interests of the people and country at large.
'The United States and Pakistan have worked together in arranging a temporary ceasefire in Afghanistan, '
Ok, so again Pakistan helped America. And they have realised who is the regional power to rely on.
@Kirby we never we're, hence the frustration of US.