KABUL/LAHORE, Pakistan, (Reuters) – Pakistan pulled out of an international conference on Afghanistan yesterday, its latest angry riposte after an attack by NATO killed 24 of its soldiers and plunged the region deeper into crisis.
Islamabad’s decision to boycott next week’s meeting in Bonn, Germany, will deprive the talks of a key player that could nudge Taliban militants into a peace process as NATO combat troops prepare to leave Afghanistan in 2014.
“The cabinet reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for stability and peace in Afghanistan and the importance of an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process of reconciliation,” the government said in a statement.
“Pakistan looks forward to the success of this conference but in view of developments and prevailing circumstances has decided not to participate in the conference.”
Pakistan’s absence from the meeting of about 85 nations may not be a major setback to the process of planning Afghanistan’s future as few tangible results are expected at Bonn, despite the attendance of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other government ministers.
But it is a blow to fostering a regional climate that will allow the United States and its allies to pull out smoothly from Afghanistan in coming years.
DEFINING THE
FUTURE
The meeting in Bonn was organized with hopes that Washington and Kabul would have reached a deal defining their relationship after foreign combat troops leave, underpinning the future presence of diplomats and aid workers.
But talks have dragged on and there is no deal yet.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke to Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani yesterday and urged his neighbor to attend the conference.
“President Hamid Karzai asked … for the foreign minister to participate in the Bonn Conference because Pakis-tan’s participation is in the interest of both countries,” the presidential palace said in a statement. Some diplomats saw Pakistan’s decision to pull out as an over-reaction to last weekend’s border attack – the details of which remain murky.
A senior diplomat in Kabul called it “a pretty huge miscalculation.” “The agenda of Bonn does not depend on Pakistan, nor does its success depend on Pakistan,” a senior British foreign office official told reporters. “But it would be better for Pakistan if she were there. There is a slight risk of the Pakistanis disenfranchising themselves.”
Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany was very discouraged to hear Pakistan had pulled out and would do what it could to persuade Islamabad to participate.
