While the terror fissures with Kabul are far from being resolved, the good point is that the estranged neighbours are talking. The consensus to break the ice and address the imbroglio is a welcome development, and the first round of additional secretary-level talks held in Islamabad was a case in point.
The nod to further the understanding reached between the two sides on April 19 at the foreign ministers level and to focus on trade, transit cooperation, security and connectivity is the way to go. A positive outcome from the bureaucratic parleys was the recognition from the Afghan leadership that terrorism, especially the presence of non-state actors such as TTP and their cross-border activism, needs decisive action and the onus is on the Taliban to act in real-time for peace in the region.
Kabul and Islamabad luckily also took a holistic look at talks and trans-regional initiatives, such as the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway framework agreement, were discussed, apart from the return of Afghan refugees. It was consoling to learn that since January 2024, Pakistan has issued over 500,000 visas for medical, tourism, business and educational purposes. This lawful understanding is a leap forward, and will come to undermine the traps that are laid by drug-and-human traffickers — something that has sabotaged normal relations to this day.
Kabul has a responsibility to dispense in two strategic arenas: flushing out terrorists and ensuring that refugees return with due solemnity. This will come to buoy the goodwill and help focus on geo-economics in a more concentrated manner.
Taliban 2.0 must realise that regional states are eager to patch up with them, and their debut recognition by Moscow is a cheering moment. However, Pakistan’s stance that it is not in a rush to follow suit is based on the far-sighted premise that until and unless terrorism is done away with, there is no point in striking a de jure relationship.
The sagacity of Afghan Taliban is up for test: it remains to be seen if they maintain status quo in their dealing with the militants or exhibit statesmanship to free the region from revulsion and bloodbath.
