Intra-Afghan-Peace Talks (III): Pakistan’s push for an interim government in Afghanistan

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Abstract

As discussed in an earlier SADF Comment, one of the immediate aims of Pakistan’s Afghan policy is the establishment of an interim government in Kabul. In March 2018, Prime Minister Imran Khan presented the idea of forming a transitional authority ‘representing the entire people of Afghanistan’. This call for a ‘new government’, combined with the portraying of the then head of the so-called National Unity Government Ashraf Ghani as a major obstacle for national reconciliation and peace negotiations in Afghanistan, created harsh criticisms among the country’s political leadership. However, Pakistani authorities still and persistently broach the topic – especially in times of rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. Now, amidst the current debate among decision makers in the US and NATO regarding either a troop withdrawal or a potential extension of military presence, and faced with a stalled process of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, the notion of an interim government becomes crucial. […]