KABUL, 9 August 2007 — Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf pulled out of a traditional council of Afghan and Pakistani leaders at the last minute yesterday, dealing a blow to efforts to combat militants who have destabilized both countries.
The three-day council, or jirga, was agreed by the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan in Washington late last year to bring together the two often-feuding, but important US allies to seek a common strategy against Al-Qaeda and the Taleban. Musharraf’s late withdrawal, citing other engagements, is a second setback for the jirga, already hit by a boycott by some Pakistani tribal groups.
“The president assured the Afghan president of Pakistan’s full support in making the joint peace jirga a success,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Musharraf had told Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a telephone call. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is to attend the talks in his place.
However, the United States indicated there was still a possibility that Musharraf would attend a portion of the meeting. “I know that he said he won’t be able to attend the first day. I can’t tell you whether or not he will be able to make any portion of the jirga,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
“The Pakistani prime minister has decided to attend. It is an important initiative and we’ll see if President Musharraf is able to attend some portion of the meeting,” McCormack said.
“We’ll see what happens. At the end of the day, what is important is that the meeting produces some results,” he added.
Some 175 Pakistani officials, politicians and tribal elders are to attend the jirga, in a large marquee in the Afghan capital, alongside a similar number from Afghanistan. Another gathering will be held in Pakistan, but no date has yet been set.
“The basic aim of this jirga is to find ways and means to restore peace in this region,” said Pakistan’s Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema.
“It’s a good effort because for the first time tribal elders and politicians from both sides are meeting,” said Rahimullah Yusufzai, a Pakistani expert on Afghan and tribal affairs said.
But expectations are not high. “Any move toward dialogue has to be welcome,” a senior Western diplomat said. “If it comes off without a major fight, that’ll be a good thing. If it establishes dialogue, then it will have been useful as a first step.”
A jirga is a traditional meeting among the Pashtun tribes that live on both sides of the border, where elders rule by consensus to try to peacefully settle disputes.
But in this case, one party to the conflict — the Taleban — will not be present. Consequently, tribal elders from Pakistan’s tribal region of Waziristan and main pro-Taleban Pakistani politician Fazlur Rahman are boycotting the jirga.
Security will be tight for the meeting for fear of attacks by the Taleban.
