Afghan dispute overshadows desire for broad-based US-Pakistan ties
Anwar Iqbal
October 9, 2021
OTH capability for Afghanistan
But Afghanistan remains a factor even in the pursuit for a long-standing partnership with Pakistan, as the US deputy secretary of state said at a news briefing in New Delhi on Wednesday. Speaking to a select group of Indian journalists, Sherman said that the Biden administration was putting together a robust programme for “over-the-horizon” (OTH) capability for Afghanistan.
The top US diplomat, who visited India before coming to Pakistan, did not elaborate this over the horizon capability but a senior US general told a congressional hearing in Washington last week that the United States was
holding direct talks with Pakistan over the use of a vital air corridor to Afghanistan.
Gen Frank McKenzie, who heads the US Central Command, expressed the desire for Pakistan’s cooperation at a hearing dominated by demands for punitive actions against Islamabad. The same week, a group of 22 Republican senators also
moved a bill in the US Senate, seeking a probe into Islamabad’s alleged role in the Afghan war.
“Over the last 20 years we’ve been able to use what we call the air boulevard to go in over western Pakistan and that’s become something that’s vital to us, as well as certain landlines of communication,” Gen McKenzie said.
Continued engagement
Diplomatic sources in Washington say that despite differences on Afghanistan and other issues, the Biden administration will continue its engagement with Pakistan. According to these sources, future contacts may include the much-desired telephone call from US President Joe Biden to Prime Minister Imran. And there could be more bilateral talks at lower levels as well.
The sources, however, say that in all these talks, the Biden administration will focus on four major points: Recognition of the Taliban government in Kabul, international sanctions on Afghanistan, access to the land-locked country and counter-terrorism cooperation.
Recent statements by senior US officials indicate that the United States does not want Pakistan to recognise the Taliban regime before the rest of the international community does. Instead, it wants Pakistan to continue its efforts for softening the Taliban position on controversial issues, such as inclusive governance, human rights, girls’ education and allowing women to work before extending diplomatic recognition to the regime.
The Americans believe that a change of position on these issues could have a positive impact on the Taliban’s image and pave the way for their acceptance in the United Nations. Individual nations, like Pakistan, should delay their recognition till then.
The United States would also like Pakistan to observe whatever sanctions the