Former UN Special Envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide was also among the competitors contending to make a dent in QS. He claimed that he was in secret contacts with Taliban since March 2009 and had made substantial progress but his progress was torpedoed following arrest of Mulla Baradar. He is these days brooding that his one-year hard work has gone waste. It is difficult to believe that Eide could have gained contact with Taliban leaders in hiding at his own and managed to keep his parleys secret from six intelligence agencies and troops from 43 countries in Afghanistan. Undoubtedly it was a collective plan and not a solo flight by Eide. Possibly Saudi Arabia must also have been kept informed because of its influence on Taliban. Pakistan was the only country from whom backdoor contacts were kept secret.
India too was busy playing its role in subverting reconcilable Taliban. Having already made a place among Afghan non-Pashtuns, it went about presenting a soft face to win over other communities of Afghanistan as well. It posed itself as a friend, interested only in extending a helping hand to develop war ravaged country. It is one of the biggest regional donors; its investment of $1.2 billion to Afghanistan, mainly aid for social services including road infrastructure, health, education and road transport etc helped in building its friendly and docile image particularly when its military didn’t become a member of coalition forces to kill Afghans. It pretended as a builder rather than a destroyer.
India’s spying and subversive activities both against anti-Indian forces in Afghanistan and against Pakistan were undertaken secretly from 2001 onwards. Indian intelligence agencies helped by CIA, FBI and RAAM began recruiting Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, Pashtun and non-Pashtun Afghans, dissidents from FATA and foreigners to give shape to its gory plan of destabilizing Pakistan. The military trainers and commandoes imparting training to saboteurs too remained dressed in civil clothes pretending to be civilians working on development projects. At the same time Indian psychological operators and intelligence goons poisoned the minds of Afghans against Pakistan, projecting it as unreliable, treacherous and unfriendly to Afghanistan. From 2007 onwards, RAW began to concentrate on moderate Taliban to create cleavage between reconcilable and irreconcilable in line with US plan.
Thanks to insidious role played by India and Israel, till recent, Pakistan was seen suspiciously by US, distrusted and castigated. Too much of hue and cry was made over QS and Pakistan was pressed to get hold of QS members involved in coordinating resistance war in southern Afghanistan, or to allow CIA to launch drone strikes in Balochistan. None questioned as to what was faction of QS doing in Quetta when its leader Omar and all its fighters were in Afghanistan. Neither the Pashtuns nor Baloch in Balochistan had any history of supporting Taliban movement in Afghanistan.
Arrest of Baradar and other important members of QS by Pak security forces should have been rejoiced by all affected parties involved in war on terror striving to restore peace n Afghanistan. On the contrary arrests of almost 50% members have hung a pal of gloom over them. USA, India, Afghan regime, Israel and UN are vexed and feel they have been outfoxed by Pakistan in their own game. A vile propaganda has now been mounted that the arrests were carried out to sabotage peace efforts undertaken by Karzai regime since Pakistan was least interested in peace in Afghanistan.
Reportedly Baradar had agreed to attend the three-day Jirga hosted by Karzai in Kabul in April which could have paved the way for isolating Mullah Omar and putting into action the reintegration plan without involving Pakistan. High hopes were pinned on Loya Jirga. Baradar and others favorably inclined to negotiations had accepted the invitation and promised to attend. It would shave heralded the much sought division of Shura and isolation of Mullah Omar led extremists least interested in negotiations either with Karzai or USA before complete withdrawal of foreign forces. In the estimate of Afghan-Indian experts and some US think tanks, 80% of Taliban and lower ranking leaders being moderate would have ditched Omar in return for monetary gains. Such an arrangement though wishful suits USA since it would allow it to execute its exit safely and on a winning note and to leave behind friendly regime ready to safeguard its regional interests.
The US is somehow taking the event lightly since it doesn’t want to expose itself as a party to the scheme in which Pakistan was to be left out in future parleys. It lauded Pakistan for the arrests made but kept asking Pakistani officials to hand over arrested Afghans or allow FBI to carryout exclusive interrogation of Baradar, or hand them over to Afghan authorities. The US officials as well as Karzai applied extreme pressure on Pakistan to hand over Baradar to his country of origin. For a change, the pressure was not coercive but soft and friendly.
In order to put at rest Pakistan’s apprehension that the captive would be put in notorious Baghram Base prison, it was reported that the base was being handed over to Afghan forces. As Pakistan was about to wilt, Pakistan law court saved the situation by ruling that he cannot be extradited. To appease USA, FBI was allowed to carryout joint interrogation of Baradar. The US smelt the rat that Karzai in league with India was trying to play a fast one by trying to establish direct communication with QS at his own to gain political strength and forge independent formula different to the one formulated by USA.
India, finding itself at a loss, made a last ditch effort to salvage the situation. Manmohan Singh air dashed to Riyadh in white heat to seek Saudi King’s assistance in establishing contacts with reconcilable members of Taliban Shura and to press Pakistan to restrict its talks with India on terrorism only since India was the victim of terrorism. He lamented that Pakistan was promoting terrorism and sabotaging peace efforts in Afghanistan. The US played its part from behind the curtains to make Saudi leadership cede to Indian requests. It was when Manmohan returned empty handed that reality dawned upon USA that Pakistan and not India was the key to Afghan tangle. Ouster of India from Tehran and Istanbul conferences by neighbors of Afghanistan and India having no say in London Conference further reinforced this impression.
When Karzai’s dramatics failed to befool Pakistan, a new plan was put into action. Col retired Imam, a former ISI officer and Consul General in Kabul had earned fame during Afghan jihad against Soviets and also lasting friendship of Pashtun Afghans. He has staunchly defended the cause of Afghan Taliban but had some reservations about TTP. Recently he made some anti-TTP statements which miffed TTP leaders particularly Maulvi Nazir heading Ahmadzai Wazir tribe in SW. Exploiting their resentment, Karzai conveyed a message to Mulla Nazir through his contacts among Taliban to kidnap some important personalities. Nazir invited Col retired Imam and Air Commodore Khalid Khwaja, also former ISI officer to visit SW and play his part in restoring peace.
The two undertook a visit to Angoor Adda in first week of March without informing the authorities or taking clearance. They assured their hosts that they will convey their point of view and they will act as spokesmen of Mehsuds while negotiating a peace deal. On their next trip in last week of March they were made hostages. In all probability they have been whisked to Afghanistan. Their capture has strengthened the hands of Karzai since he is now in a stronger bargaining position to demand release of Baradar and others in return for their liberation of two captive ISI officers. The two captives are held in high esteem of Afghans for their services rendered and it is least likely that any physical harm will come to them. However, in case Blackwater is involved in kidnapping, their life is in danger. Some undesirable stories on their behalf could be fed to the media to malign Pak Army and ISI.
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?226877
Mystery behind sudden interest in Taliban Shura
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