AfPak Policy and Pakistan
1) AfPak Policy:
US has announced AfPak policy for afghanistan and Pakistan. Some of us consider this strategy a positive move and others take it otherwise.
Members are invited to pin point its negatives and positives if any.
2) Talks with Taliban:
Recently US is engaged in covert talks: Back-channel talks with the Afghan Taliban through ‘neutral players’. They are trying to negotiate peace with Taliban and they have reintegration as well as reconciliation strategies. US Gen Stanley McChrystal even has access to a $1.5bn Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund to provide ‘incentives’ to militants to put down their arms. Thus, the question now should be whether or not talks can work.
Pakistan wants the reintegration to include all Taliban, including their top leadership, but the US desires to limit the process to mid-level Taliban and foot soldiers. Washington and Islamabad also have divergent views on who should lead the process.
The Saudis, who in 2008 sponsored talks between Taliban and the Karzai government, currently appear to be reluctant to exercise their influence over the Taliban.
Loya Jirga (peace council) sometime in next month for which President Karzai has publicly invited the Taliban to attend. President Hamid Karzai has already invited the Taliban to a peace jirga and UN representatives reportedly met members of the Quetta shura in Dubai to discuss the possibility of direct talks.
Keeping in view the above developments you are required to express your opinion whether US is moving in right direction on right time or not? What will be the implications for Pakistan and Afghanistan after these talks?
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