Islamabad (Dawn/ANN) - With Doha getting ready to host a political office of the Taliban, Afghan reconciliation will be a major theme during Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to Qatar next week for signing energy and investment agreements.
Qataris, desirous of playing the role of a regional peace broker, have appeared to be willing hosts for the proposed Taliban liaison office, which is expected to serve as a base for any talks between Kabul, militants and other stakeholders.
Gilani's long-awaited two-day state visit to Doha starts on Monday. The thrust of the agenda is to discuss bilateral issues, particularly import of liquefied natural gas, seeking Qatar's investment in infrastructure projects and matters relating to Pakistanis living in the Gulf Emirate.
Afghanistan, as such, is not on the agenda, but diplomats expect that the issue will be raised during Gilani's talks with the Qatari leadership.
"Afghanistan could be discussed, and certainly we too would be interested in being updated by the Qatari leaders on the contacts made so far and the progress towards setting up of the Taliban liaison office," a senior diplomat said.
It was more than a coincidence that Afghanistan last month withdrew its objections to the proposed Taliban office in Qatar on the day ISI chief Lt-Gen Shuja Pasha was on a secret trip to Doha meeting US officials.
Islamabad's role for success of the reconciliation process is considered as the most crucial element because of the influence it enjoys over the Taliban leadership, some of whom are believed to be still based in Pakistan.
A Nato classified report leaked to BBC and The Times this week reinforced the perception that Taliban were being controlled by ISI.
Gilani, an official privy to the brief prepared for the trip said, could offer his government's full support for the Qatari initiative.
Pakistan, which boycotted the Bonn conference on Afghanistan in December because of Nato attacks on its border posts, is also keen to remain "relevant to the process".
"We don't want to be left out of the process," an official said.
Washington and other western capitals have sought assurances from Islamabad that Taliban representatives needed for talks in Doha will be allowed to travel unhindered.
Analysts believe Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's visit to Kabul earlier in the week was also a move for "getting the country back into the loop" because "peace and stability in Afghanistan" is high on the security and foreign policy agenda.
Khar will be accompanying Gilani to Doha. Pakistan and Afghanistan's joint efforts for reconciliation and peace unravelled after High Peace Council chief Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani's assassination in September last year, which Afghan officials alleged to have been masterminded by "Quetta-based Taliban".
Relationship got further splintered because of a bomb attack on an Ashura procession in Kabul, which was claimed by Lashkar-i-Jhangvi ¿ a banned Pakistani organisation.
Although Khar's visit could not get the Afghans to immediately agree to revive the joint efforts, President Hamid Karzai's decision to visit Pakistan later this month was taken as a positive sign nevertheless.
COPYRIGHT: ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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