PM Imran set to undertake maiden Afghanistan visit ‘next week’

[Microsoft]

Source
Premier's visit comes amid uncertainty over Afghan peace process after Joe Biden's win in US election

ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to undertake a maiden trip to Afghanistan next week on the invitation of President Ashraf Ghani as Afghan peace process faces uncertain future with the change at the White House after Democratic candidate Joe Biden captured the presidency in the recently held US election.

The exact date of the visit has yet to be announced but Afghan foreign ministry confirmed that the visit would take place in the coming week.

Diplomatic sources told The Express Tribune that the premier is expected to travel to Kabul on November 19.

This is the first visit by PM Imran to Kabul since he assumed office in August 2018.

The visit comes at a crucial juncture as intra-Afghan talks are making little progress with continued violence in Afghanistan making the process further complicated.

What added to the already complex situation is the election of Biden as new president of the United States.

On paper, there appears to be little difference between President Trump and president-elect Biden as both seek the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

However, unlike Trump, the incoming US president would likely seek more orderly withdrawal and may set his own terms with the Afghan Taliban.

The Taliban on the other hand hoped that the new US administration would stick to the agreement reached between them and Washington on February 29 in Doha.

The landmark deal envisages a timeline for the US troops’ withdrawal from the war-torn country in return for Taliban agreeing to not allow its soil to be used by terrorist groups.

The US-Taliban deal follows intra-Afghan dialogue that would seek consensus among all Afghan groups on the future political dispensation of Afghanistan.

The several rounds between the Taliban and Afghan government negotiators have yet to make any major headway while the violence continues to wreak havoc in the country.

There have been calls for ceasefire but the Taliban have so far refused to agree on it, saying the truce would be part of the overall agreement to be reached through intra-Afghan talks.

Premier Imran will meet President Ghani, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghan High peace council and other authorities and reiterate Pakistan's support for the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

Islamabad has played a key part in brokering the ongoing peace process, something that has been acknowledged both by Kabul and Washington.

 

[baqai]

After the press conference of Afghanistan's involvement in terrorism in Pakistan i think he should NOT visit Afghanistan instead he should cancel the trip stating the obvious i.e. state sponsored terrorism in Pakistan

 

[El Sidd]

GoP should think twice about her relations with despots and puppets susceptible to weather changes.

Afghanistan is also not secure to host the Pakistani PM.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I'm not convinced that this is necessary or useful.

Ghani and company are not going to change their approach because of an Imran Khan visit - they are likely going to wait till Biden takes power and gauge his approach towards Afghanistan and Pakistan and how different it will be from Trump's. Amrullah Saleh especially will argue against any concessions or rapprochement with Pakistan - he's still dreaming about convincing the US to attack Pakistan and expanding Afghanistan's territory into Pakistan.

Additionally, there are significant concerns in terms of the Prime Minister's security during the visit, especially given the influence of the terrorist supporting & Pakistan hating Amrullah Saleh.

Is the US/NATO going to be roped into assisting with security during IK's visit? I wouldn't trust the Afghans at all and I doubt the Afghan government is going to allow the Pakistan Army to handle security arrangements inside Afghanistan, especially since such arrangements would require a significant number of Pakistani troops to be deployed.

 

[Flash_Ninja]

I'm not convinced that this is necessary or useful.

Ghani and company are not going to change their approach because of an Imran Khan visit - they are likely going to wait till Biden takes power and gauge his approach towards Afghanistan and Pakistan and how different it will be from Trump's. Amrullah Saleh especially will argue against any concessions or rapprochement with Pakistan - he's still dreaming about convincing the US to attack Pakistan and expanding Afghanistan's territory into Pakistan.

Additionally, there are significant concerns in terms of the Prime Minister's security during the visit, especially given the influence of the terrorist supporting & Pakistan hating Amrullah Saleh.

Is the US/NATO going to be roped into assisting with security during IK's visit? I wouldn't trust the Afghans at all and I doubt the Afghan government is going to allow the Pakistan Army to handle security arrangements inside Afghanistan, especially since such arrangements would require a significant number of Pakistani troops to be deployed.

It may be linked to the dossier they just released on Indian terrorism and IK may be there to deliver a "take care of these training camps or otherwise we will" type of message.

There must be some high level (security/economic) discussion planned at the very least, otherwise IK would have just conveyed any other message whenever Ghani or the Afghan delegations reguarly visit Islamabad. I think we will know more when they announce which other officials will go to Kabul.

 

[Ali_Baba]

As long as the security around Imran Khan is water tight(i see no value to the visit), then there is not much in the way of downside.

 

[baqai]

It may be linked to the dossier they just released on Indian terrorism and IK may be there to deliver a "take care of these training camps or otherwise we will" type of message.

There must be some high level (security/economic) discussion planned at the very least, otherwise IK would have just conveyed any other message whenever Ghani or the Afghan delegations reguarly visit Islamabad. I think we will know more when they announce which other officials will go to Kabul.

with evidence and proofs he should SUMMON them instead of walking up the wolves den, maybe bani gala is running out of supplies?

 

[Flash_Ninja]

with evidence and proofs he should SUMMON them instead of walking up the wolves den, maybe bani gala is running out of supplies?

Maybe he wants to meet the President, NDS, ANA chief etc. all at the same time. Like I said these guys reguarly visit Islamabad anyway, so it must be something important for him to visit them.

If it is just a regular meeting with some meaningless dialogue about the peace process or something, then I think he would be within his reasons to cancel it because of coronavirus or focusing on domestic issues. Would it be worth going to Afghanistan for something so minor?

 

[Metal 0-1]

He should go to Kabul to say "Mr. Karzai cut the shit out". Otherwise he should not bother to go to Afghanistan.

 

[Taimoor Khan]

This should be the final warning. Those terrorist camps all over Afghanistan run by India and like minded nations, they need to be put out of business pronto. There should be credible threat of leaving gaping holes in earth crest where those camps stands.

 

[Hayreddin]

IK visit ... waste of energy and time .Why risking ur life poping ur head into snake hole .

 

[Deltadart]

It may be linked to the dossier they just released on Indian terrorism and IK may be there to deliver a "take care of these training camps or otherwise we will" type of message.

There must be some high level (security/economic) discussion planned at the very least, otherwise IK would have just conveyed any other message whenever Ghani or the Afghan delegations reguarly visit Islamabad. I think we will know more when they announce which other officials will go to Kabul.

We just talk my friend. We have the ability but not the guts to take out the terror camps on their soil targeting pakistan. Other countries take out the heads of terror groups targeting them, but not us. Tauba tauba that we should commit such sacriledge.

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

Pak will sign new fta deal with Afghanistan during his visit which will result in $2 billions export from Pak to Afghanistan. So those who do not want IK to visit Afghanistan must think again. Pak was after this trade deal since 2009 and finally getting now.

 

[ziaulislam]

Pak will sign new fta deal with Afghanistan during his visit which will result in $2 billions export from Pak to Afghanistan. So those who do not want IK to visit Afghanistan must think again. Pak was after this trade deal since 2009 and finally getting now.

Afghanistan is an important trading partner. This we shouldn't ignore
we need ease movement so KPK health industry and agri economy might recover

 

[IceCold]

I'm not convinced that this is necessary or useful.

Ghani and company are not going to change their approach because of an Imran Khan visit - they are likely going to wait till Biden takes power and gauge his approach towards Afghanistan and Pakistan and how different it will be from Trump's. Amrullah Saleh especially will argue against any concessions or rapprochement with Pakistan - he's still dreaming about convincing the US to attack Pakistan and expanding Afghanistan's territory into Pakistan.

Additionally, there are significant concerns in terms of the Prime Minister's security during the visit, especially given the influence of the terrorist supporting & Pakistan hating Amrullah Saleh.

Is the US/NATO going to be roped into assisting with security during IK's visit? I wouldn't trust the Afghans at all and I doubt the Afghan government is going to allow the Pakistan Army to handle security arrangements inside Afghanistan, especially since such arrangements would require a significant number of Pakistani troops to be deployed.

Whenever we start believing that Khan has matured up from its naivety, he surprises us once more.
Without deployment of SSG no way in hell should PM Khan go there but alas he is the guy who used Saudi Plane on his way to US instead of using Pakistani. Pata nahi whom he is trying to convince here.