cable- The leader of the Pakistani Society of Islamic Scholars, Mawlawi Fazlur Rahman, met with both the acting Afghan Prime Minister, Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, and his deputy for political affairs, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, in the Afghan capital, Kabul, during a visit that was the first of its kind after the return of… Taliban To power in 2021.
Fazlur Rahman’s visit to Kabul comes in light of tense relations between the two sides, as the Pakistani authorities accuse the Afghan government of being behind the Taliban fighters. Pakistan Providing a safe haven for it near the border strip between the two countries, it also holds the movement responsible for the deteriorating security situation.
When the Afghan government did not listen to Pakistani demands and did not expel the movement’s fighters from its territory, it rose Islamabad By expelling Afghan refugees to put pressure on the Afghan government.
Can Mawlawi Fazlur Rahman play a role in improving Afghan-Pakistani relations, which have deteriorated since the arrival of the Taliban in a way that no one imagined, given the historical relationship between the two parties during the presence of American and foreign forces in Afghanistan؟
good move
The former deputy Afghan ambassador to Islamabad, Zardasht Shams, answers, “I do not think that the man can solve the problem during one visit. It can be considered a good step to open the door to dialogue between the two parties at least. He can bring viewpoints closer on the controversial issues between Kabul and Islamabad and create a basis for dialogue.” “The Taliban have changed a lot, and they are not the Taliban of the 1990s.”
Afghan affairs experts believe that the Pakistani Taliban file was one of the main points in the visit of the leader of the Pakistani Association of Islamic Scholars to Kabul and his meeting with the Afghan side, and that the Afghan government considers the file to be a purely Pakistani matter and cannot promise the Pakistani side to do anything about it.
Zardasht Shams told Al Jazeera Net, “The main problem in relations between the two countries is the Pakistani Taliban file. The Afghan government cannot meet Pakistani demands, and even if it wanted to, it does not have the ability to do anything against the movement, because it does not want to open a new front against it.”
According to close Afghan sources, this visit has three main goals: convincing the Pakistani Taliban to sit at the negotiating table with the Pakistani government, helping the Afghan government secure the border areas on the day of the parliamentary elections that will be held next month, and reducing tension between Kabul and Islamabad.
The Pakistani Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party is considered one of the most important Islamic parties allied with the Pakistani government and its army. It enjoys great influence in the border areas with Afghanistan, and was able to maintain its presence in Pakistani politics by winning seats in the Pakistani Parliament and Senate.
Messages
Mawlawi Fazlur Rahman is seen as having supported the Afghan Taliban movement for the past two decades, and came to Kabul in coordination with the Pakistani government to convey its messages to the Afghan side.
Regarding this, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said to Al Jazeera Net, “Maulana Fazlur Rahman enjoys the respect of everyone in the region, and he is familiar with the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and we hope that he will play a role in improving relations between the two countries, and that he will convey the good intentions of the leaders of Afghanistan to officials in Pakistan and we hope that this visit will have good results.”
Followers of Afghan affairs believe that the official visits made by Pakistani officials to Afghanistan did not lead to tangible results, so the Pakistani authorities thought about changing the mechanism of communication with the Afghan government led by the Taliban and sending someone – at least – who can understand what the Taliban leaders are thinking because they Intellectually they belong to one school.
Afghan government spokesman says Zabihullah Mujahid According to Al Jazeera Net, “Extending an invitation to the leader of the Pakistani Society of Islamic Scholars aims to prevent negative propaganda against the Taliban in Pakistan and convey the truth to the Pakistani people.”
The Afghan Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir – during his meeting with Mawlawi Fazlur Rahman – expressed his country’s concern about the presence of ISIS and Islamabad’s policy towards Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Valuation
The head of the media department in the office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Hassan Haqqar, told Al Jazeera Net, “The Afghan government appreciates the role played by Mawlawi Fazlur Rahman in improving relations between the two countries, and we made it clear to him that the Pakistani government must stand with us in combating… State regulation Which threatens security in the region.”
He added, “We made it clear to him that we are committed to an agreement.” Doha We will not allow anyone to use Afghan lands against our neighbors, and Pakistan must accept us as an independent state and not interfere in our affairs, and we do not want to interfere in the affairs of others.”
The visit of the leader of the Pakistani Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam sparked widespread reactions on social media platforms.
A number of activists believed that it came within the framework of electoral propaganda, and that as long as he did not meet the leader of the Taliban movement, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzadeh – Who has broad authority to make crucial decisions, such as the Afghan government’s position on the Pakistani Taliban movement. The Afghan authorities in Kabul do not have the authority to make important decisions.
Writer and political researcher Fazlur Rahman Oriya told Al Jazeera Net, “I believe that things will move in a new direction after the visit of Mawlawi Fazlur Rahman, and Pakistan’s security and economic crisis will increase, and the Pakistani Taliban movement will escalate further and create a new momentum against the Pakistani forces,” according to his statement.
