Pakistani Senators Pledge to Support Afghan Peace Process

A 16-member Pakistani Senate delegation visiting Kabul on Wednesday pledged support from the Pakistani government and military in the Afghan government's attempts to come to a peaceful political settlement with the Taliban.

At a two-day meeting held in Kabul, Pakistani and Afghan Senators met to discuss bilateral relations, the peace process, and the convening of a grand meeting for Islamic scholars from around the world in the Afghan capital. Reportedly, the Islamic scholars gathered at the meeting would issue a mandate condemning suicide attacks.

Pakistan has long paid lip-service to extending support to Afghanistan in its counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency efforts, but practical steps taken in providing tangible support have been few and far between. However, the release of numerous Taliban prisoners according to requests made during President Hamid Karzai's trip to Islamabad last month, and the commitments made by the Pakistani Senators in Kabul this week, taken together may signal a new and promising chapter in relations between the two South Asian neighbors.

"If both governments work collectively, then challenges can be addressed effectively. Afghanistan and Pakistan are both victims of terrorism and they need to combat the menace. For this purpose, the two countries should formulate an effective strategy," said Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain.

While several Afghan political experts dismissed the Pakistani Senate delegation's visit as business-as-usual, the Afghan government considers the trip a major step in bilateral relations that would help make progress in the stalled peace process.

Pakistan has been frequently accused by Afghan officials and the international community of harboring the Taliban and other militant groups. But with terrorism becoming a growing menace in Pakistan itself, many have suggested that the government in Islamabad is looking to pursue a new approach to the issue.

"Pakistan is supporting the Afghan peace process for the protection of their country. Terrorism is eating up their country and so they are now showing interest in contributing to the Afghan peace process. They have realized that stability in Afghanistan will bring peace into their country as well," Afghan MP Syed Farukh Shah said.