At the dialogue table

Express Tribune

23-03-2025

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Once again, Pakistan and Afghanistan find themselves at the negotiating table, attempting to resolve the same set of issues that have plagued their relationship for decades. Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq's visit to Kabul - his second in three months - signals Islamabad's willingness to keep the conversation going despite a history of inconclusive talks. This renewed diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan comes at a time when the fault lines in their relationship have never been more pronounced.
That said, these meetings are a hopeful step. Diplomatic engagement, no matter how fraught, remains preferable to a complete breakdown in communication. But for these discussions to be truly meaningful, they must blossom into concrete action rather than becoming yet another iteration of cyclical talks that yield little beyond vague assurances.
What these discussions fail to address is the larger dysfunction in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. The relationship is trapped in a cycle where crises dictate engagement, and once immediate tensions are defused, structural problems are left unaddressed. This reactive approach has made diplomacy transactional rather than strategic.
Trade relations, while often cited as a stabilising force, remain hostage to political disputes. Meanwhile, the refugee crisis has reached a tipping point, with Islamabad's March 31 deadline for undocumented Afghans looming over an already fragile situation. More pressing, however, is the security situation.
Pakistan has made it clear that cross-border militancy is a red line. Still, the Taliban continue to provide little more than diplomatic platitudes when confronted with the reality of TTP's presence in Afghanistan. The December airstrikes in the border region were a clear indication of Pakistan's growing impatience.
Diplomatic engagement must move beyond reactive crisis management and instead be tied to clear, measurable commitments, particularly on security. There is still room for a reset, but only if both sides demonstrate the political will to break free from the entrenched patterns of the past.