During the last two weeks, given the October skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan, we discussed IEA's covert and demonstrated hostility towards Pakistan, which remains unjustifiable from sociological (Pashtunwali), Islamic fraternity and/or good neighbourly standpoints. That this acrimony is in sheer violation of the basic tenet of Pashtunwali, that is shegara (or khegara) — doing good and returning good with good. That militarily Pakistan can fight a '1.5 Front' Indo-Afghan aggression, a scenario best avoided. That Afghanistan and CARs are not of any 'outsized and overwhelming' geo-strategic and economic relevance, except energy; for which other inexpensive alternatives also exit.

After outlining the Doha Agreement, as reported, and the prospects of parleys in Istanbul, I surmised that continued IEA obduracy, gender apartheid and human rights abuses are gravitating the main national, international and regional stakeholders towards a possible regime change. The Afghan-based terrorism is hardening attitudes, because behind the smokescreen of Haqqani-hosted TTP; the IEA is also and perhaps more complicit. The incendiary statement by Afghan interior ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani, made during an interview with Ariana News, speaks for it and will not be helpful.

The actual reasons for the collapse of the Istanbul talks after crucial and intense negotiations are yet to be known; however, as per my construct, the composition of the negotiating team speaks a lot about the lack of clarity, confusion and internal fault-lines within the IEA, in addition to the ongoing Afghan-based anti-Pakistan terrorism. Some pointers are in order.

First, the IEA changed........

© The Express Tribune