Departing from his usual condescending tone, President Karzai has stated that he is against foreign military action in Pakistan. He said that although the drones are a quarrel between the US and Pakistan, his posture was in sync with that of Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif. It could be that this change of heart has coincided with the democratic transition in Pakistan; but this might help bring the two neighbours closer. There is a lot that Pakistan has suffered and obviously the same is true of Afghanistan. So a genuine camaraderie must be sought after.
During an interview with a private TV channel, President Karzai is also reported to have admitted that Maulvi Faqir - the Taliban commander behind several deadly blasts - is in a jail in Afghanistan. This is a sigh of relief for Pakistan, battered by his attacks that had left hundreds dead. Karzai also stated that Mulla Fazlullah and other dangerous militants were on the run somewhere in the Kunar province. That bears out Islamabad’s constant refrain that such bands of terrorists were using the hideouts across the border as a springboard to launch attacks in Pakistan. Precisely what will Kabul do was not hinted by the President, but it is obvious that at least, his revelation reflects his understanding of how dangerous these miscreants are to the security of both the nations. But that the anti-Pakistan sentiment has been in currency and is being at times deliberately propagated was borne out by his own statement that a Pakistani flag had been desecrated inside Afghanistan, which he regretted.
Now that NATO troops are drawing down, only a state of successful coexistence would result in defeating multi-faceted ordeal such as militancy, drug trafficking, gun-running and other evils. Terrorism is a common threat which will indefinitely require teamwork even in sensitive areas such as intelligence sharing. And on whichever side of the border, they must be hunted down. But so long as we keep pointing fingers at each other, the plague will find opportunities to survive.