Credit: ET
Khar says that besides looking after around 2.5 million Afghan refugees, Pakistan is actively contributing towards reconstructing and rebuilding Afghanistan. PHOTO: PID/FILE
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar stated that Pakistan, in its own core national interest is irrevocably committed to achieving stability in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process. It is for the Afghans themselves to define the contours of reconciliation, she stressed.
She was speaking on “Changing Regional and Global Environment; Pakistan’s Perspective” at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. The audience included a cross section of the representatives of German society including political, social sector, business community and academic circles.
She was speaking on “Changing Regional and Global Environment; Pakistan’s Perspective” at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. The audience included a cross section of the representatives of German society including political, social sector, business community and academic circles. Given the factual ground realities and how much top military brass gives freedom to civil foreign minister, to me, she was not the competent and fully informed representative for such topic and forum. Germany is an extremely important Western country and for such topic and forum COAS of Pakistan Army should had participated. Or might be it was an intentional attempt to disguise at the part of foreign ministry to keep the West in Haze and Smoke from actual developments back at home where Gen Kiani preparing to visit Russia ,the first ever Pakistani COAS to do so. President Puntin also planning to visit Pakistan in current month with a large delegation. All such on going developments speak a big change in regional scenario from Pakistan perspective. If foreign ministry is of the view that it could hide the actual Pakistani perspective from the West it is grossly mistaken. These countries are much ahead of Pakistan is such tactics and politics.
It is true Afghanistan has lot of importance to achieve the regional stability but not the only country to which the whole region should focus. Pakistan itself is victim of various problems which are leading to its instability thus endangering the regional stability. Iran, Saudi Arabia and other middle East countries are also not exempted. Our security and foreign policy needs radical changes to cater for these internal aspects which to me are more dangerous relative to Afghan problem. However our political and military elite since has entirely different agenda so where it will take the country God knows better. One can only pray for Pakistan.