Ahmad Zia Rahimzai– political analyst
Last week, while Prince Saud al Faisal Foreign minister of Saudi Arabia arrived in Islam Abad, media and analysts interpreted this visit with different analysis from their perspective keeping in mind the ongoing debate between Kabul and the White House over the Bilateral Security Agreement.
However, High Peace Council noted this visit more important for peace process, but some Pakistani and western media considered that the visit is aimed to discuss a possible exile deal for Pervez Musharraf who is facing high treason trial keeping in mind that the visit is done at the time when Musharraf gets trialed and the good relations between Musharraf and Saudi Arabia and that such deal was obtained through Saudi Arabia for Nawaz Sharif and in its result he and his family got free form jail when Musharraf was in power. That is why journalists asked Saud al Faisal after his arrival in Islam Abad airport whether he aimed to mediate between Pakistan’s government and Parvez Musharraf, but according to the media reports he laughingly responded with not!, and clarified that General Musharraf’s trial is Pakistan’s internal affair and his country may not ever interfere in this issue.
Meanwhile, this visit is not much unrelated with Afghanistan’s issues and its peace process as well. A Pakistan newspaper named Nawa-e-Waqt in coverage of Saud Al Faisal’s visit to Pakistan quoted from Ezaz Ahmad Chohdri the deputy minister of foreign affairs of Pakistan that Saud Al Faisal in his discussions with Pakistani officials, requested them to cooperate with Saudi Arabia, in opening an office for Afghan Taliban for peace negotiation.
Previously, when the Qatar office got closed after political disagreements between Kabul and Washington, opening another office in Saudi or Turkey came in to political discussions, and if we accept the report of the above mentioned newspaper regarding the request of Saudi Arabia from Pakistan to cooperate in opening an office for Taliban, this can prove that the visit of foreign minister of Saudi to Pakistan was not unrelated with the issues of Afghanistan.
On the other hand, according to a press release from presidential office of Afghanistan, prince Saud al Faisal in his latest visit to Pakistan had a phone conversation with president Hamid Karzai, in which both sides discussed the bilateral relation, Afghan Peace process and Saudi’s role in this regard.
According to this press release in this telephonic conversation president Hamid Karzai insisted on the important role of Saudi Arabia in Afghanistan’s peace process and the important role that king of Saudi can play in it, and also in security and stabilization of the region.
The important point in this conversation was Prince Saud Al Faisal’s remarks that said Nawaz Sharif’s latest visit to Kabul and before that, Karzai’s visit to Islamabad was significant for mutual benefits and eliminating shared threats.
Moreover, on the very same day that Prince Saud Al Faisal had telephonic conversation with President Hamid Karzai, Nawaz Sharif the prime minister of Pakistan also talked to Hamid Karzai and discussed peace process and bilateral issues.
Taking in mind all of the above mentioned points, we cannot undermine the relation of Prince Saud Al Faisal’s trip to Islamabad with the ongoing issues in Afghanistan.
Yet it is early to suggest what positive impact would the opening of Taliban’s office in Saudi Arabia have on Afghanistan’s peace process, but there is no doubt that both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are the two countries which can play very important and central role in the peace process of Afghanistan.
On the other hand, keeping in mind that America has notable influence on both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and also as recently President Hamid Karzai in spite of pressures from west has rejected to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement, one cannot ignore that these telephonic conversations and readiness of Saudi Arabia to open an office for Taliban in their territory in spite of the grievances from Taliban, might have happened by the request of U.S to fulfill the precondition of Hamid Karzai for signing BSA, which is the start of real and effective process of reconsolidation.
However Saudi’s king family after their unfair positions on some Islamic issues including their support of military coup in Egypt, hurt their image in Islamic world, but still in virtue of sacred Islamic places located in this country and some other factors, the mediation role of Saudi Arabia in the issues of Islamic countries cannot be ignored.
However it will be clarified in near future that what the purpose was behind the scene of Saud al Faisal’s visit to Islamabad and the telephonic conversations of him and prime minister Nawaz Sharif with president Hamid Karzai, but apparently this fact cannot be ignored that Saudi Arabia wants to play a more significant role in the peace process of Afghanistan by opening office for Taliban in Saudi Arabia and also this perception cannot be ignored that America after failing to get the signature of Hamid Karzai in the security agreement without preconditions although they brought much pressure on him, is now trying to pave the way for signing BSA(bilateral security agreement) with the assistance from Saudi and Pakistan.