Devil Soul
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Obama to nudge Nawaz, Karzai closer
August 05, 2013
ISLAMABAD - US President Barack Obama would hold an important, joint meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in New York next month, sources said on Sunday.
Well-placed diplomatic sources told The Nation that President Obama would meet the two leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to persuade them to mend fences in the interest of peace in Afghanistan and regional stability.
The Obama administration wants that both the neighbouring countries Pakistan and Afghanistan join hands in making the counter-terrorism strategy more effective and meaningful.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, during his last week visit to Pakistan, extended special invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the next-month meeting.
Secretary Kerry, while acknowledging Pakistans sacrifices in the war against terror, also lauded Pakistans role in reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
In a related development, the US special envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, James Dobbins, who called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Friday, briefed him on the outcome of Kerrys visit to Islamabad and his meetings with the Pakistani leaders.
The US move comes ahead of Afghan Presidents planned visit to Pakistan later this month at the invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss strained bilateral relations between the two countries.
The US described the decision of the Afghan President to visit Pakistan a welcome development.
Prime Ministers Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz visited Kabul last month to mend fences with the Afghan government, and held productive meetings with senior Afghan government officials as well as the Afghan president. He also extended Karzai invitation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Pakistan.
President Karzai said he hoped his coming visit to Pakistan would lead to enhancing bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries and accelerating the peace process in Afghanistan.
The Afghan government believes that Pakistan can influence the Taliban to hold direct talks with the Afghan government and help end the lingering crisis in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Pakistan says it supports Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process and that it has got no role beyond facilitation and that was why Pakistan has been supporting the Qatar process and wanted its resumption without further delay.
The US, Pakistan and other countries persuaded Taliban to join the Doha process that took more than 18 months to mature. But it fizzled out after objection by the Afghan government and its High Peace Council to its name as Islamic Emirate Afghanistan and its flag. The objections angered the Taliban and eventually they closed their Doha office. They also refused to have talks with the Afghan government and the High Peace Council, arguing that their opponent in the war is the United States and they want to negotiate with the US administration.
Obama to nudge Nawaz, Karzai closer
August 05, 2013
ISLAMABAD - US President Barack Obama would hold an important, joint meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in New York next month, sources said on Sunday.
Well-placed diplomatic sources told The Nation that President Obama would meet the two leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to persuade them to mend fences in the interest of peace in Afghanistan and regional stability.
The Obama administration wants that both the neighbouring countries Pakistan and Afghanistan join hands in making the counter-terrorism strategy more effective and meaningful.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, during his last week visit to Pakistan, extended special invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the next-month meeting.
Secretary Kerry, while acknowledging Pakistans sacrifices in the war against terror, also lauded Pakistans role in reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
In a related development, the US special envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, James Dobbins, who called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Friday, briefed him on the outcome of Kerrys visit to Islamabad and his meetings with the Pakistani leaders.
The US move comes ahead of Afghan Presidents planned visit to Pakistan later this month at the invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss strained bilateral relations between the two countries.
The US described the decision of the Afghan President to visit Pakistan a welcome development.
Prime Ministers Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz visited Kabul last month to mend fences with the Afghan government, and held productive meetings with senior Afghan government officials as well as the Afghan president. He also extended Karzai invitation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Pakistan.
President Karzai said he hoped his coming visit to Pakistan would lead to enhancing bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries and accelerating the peace process in Afghanistan.
The Afghan government believes that Pakistan can influence the Taliban to hold direct talks with the Afghan government and help end the lingering crisis in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Pakistan says it supports Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process and that it has got no role beyond facilitation and that was why Pakistan has been supporting the Qatar process and wanted its resumption without further delay.
The US, Pakistan and other countries persuaded Taliban to join the Doha process that took more than 18 months to mature. But it fizzled out after objection by the Afghan government and its High Peace Council to its name as Islamic Emirate Afghanistan and its flag. The objections angered the Taliban and eventually they closed their Doha office. They also refused to have talks with the Afghan government and the High Peace Council, arguing that their opponent in the war is the United States and they want to negotiate with the US administration.
Obama to nudge Nawaz, Karzai closer
