Sensing anti-Pak protests in Afghanistan, Pakistan's NSA cancels visit to Kabul

Pakistan's National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf's proposed visit to Afghanistan on January 18 has been cancelled at last minute sensing anti-Pakistani wave in war-torn Afghanistan, writes Saurabh Sharma of ETV Bharat

New Delhi: In a major diplomatic embarrassment to Pakistan, National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf's proposed visit to Kabul, which was slated for January 18-19, has been cancelled amidst massive protests across Afghanistan. As reported by the media, his visit was cancelled as a large number of Afghans were expected to turn up at the Kabul airport for an anti-Pakistan protest and therefore sensing resentment and hostility, the scheduled visit was cancelled.

The last-minute cancellation of this visit showcases that there is no mutual understanding between Pakistan and the Taliban otherwise such a visit would not have been scheduled. Therefore, it reflects the increasing distance between the two of them and it has direct implications on Pakistan's internal security and regional stability as well, said Dr Swaran Singh, professor for diplomacy and disarmament at the Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament (CIPOD), School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

But, according to official sources of Pakistan, the planned visit of the Pakistani NSA Moeed Yusuf to Kabul was postponed due to bad weather. It is pertinent to note that Pakistan's NSA a few days ago termed India’s aid of 50,000 tonnes of wheat to the Afghan people as a publicity stunt.

This last-minute cancellation of the visit underlines the further deterioration of relations between the Taliban and Pakistan. This manifests that Pakistan is now losing its influence in the Taliban, which is not good for Pakistan's internal and border security because if any country the Taliban is most deeply entrenched into other than that of Afghanistan is Pakistan, pointed out Dr Swaran Singh.

Therefore, now Pakistan will have to be extremely careful in handling its relationship and equation with the Taliban, which is now playing the role of a State and not of a Jihadist militant outfit.

One more crucial aspect that would certainly boil up tensions for Pakistan's internal security is the possible counter-reaction from TTP (Pakistan Taliban) that has certainly been emboldened right after the sudden forcible takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban on August 15.

Furthermore, Dr Singh pointed out that Pakistan has failed to deliver its promises to the Taliban to get regime international recognition. The failure to get this is an important factor that has impacted the relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan and if these tensions continue, the Taliban will use all the pressure tactics like creating tension on the Durand Line and encouraging TTP to create problems for Pakistan's internal security."

While the Taliban is not in a position to stage a war with Pakistan, but they could definitely tinker with internal outfits such as TTP to encourage them to create problems in Pakistan.

This would have been the second most high-level diplomatic visit from Pakistan to war-torn Afghanistan, five months after the collapse of the West backed Ashraf Ghani government and the sudden and subsequent rise of the Taliban.

Pakistan's National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf was expected to visit Kabul this week on January 18 and 19 to assess the humanitarian situation in the country, to discuss the border fencing disputes at the contentious Durand Line and there was a possible expectation that New Delhi's future prospects in Afghanistan were an issue likely to get raised by Islamabad.

With this development, one thing that has certainly become crystal clear is that the people of Afghanistan do not want further interference of Pakistan in its internal matters even at this time when the war-torn nation has been facing social, political and economic collapse.