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WASHINGTON: Pakistan has relayed a clear message to the Taliban to participate in talks with the elected government in Kabul and offered full support to the US to bring peace to the war-torn country.

Our message to the Taliban is clear: go ahead and participate in the process of reconciliation with the Afghan government. We dont want bloodshed in Afghanistan, nor we want our land to be used against anyone, Pakistans new ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said on Friday.

However, Chaudhry said the Afghan government should also move forward and seek a political solution to end violence in the country.

He said the US military command was aware of Pakistans cooperation in its Afghan operations and Islamabad would continue to support the American efforts to bring lasting peace in Afghanistan.

In his first interaction with the Pakistani journalists based in Washington, Aizaz said he had clear instructions from the leadership to strengthen ties with the US and update the congressmen and the US administration on the real change in Pakistan.

Aizaz, who served as Pakistans foreign secretary prior to his appointment here, says todays Pakistan has changed as the country is winning the war against terrorism and moving towards economic prosperity.

Zarb-e-Azb has achieved a resounding success. The tribal areas have been cleared of terrorist hideouts. The temporarily displaced people (TDPs) have returned to their homes and Fata is now being mainstreamed to the political governance of the country, he said.

He said several high officials, including from the US, had visited and witnessed for themselves the gains of peace and security in Pakistan.

The ambassador further informed the journalists that the recent initiative to reach out to the Afghan government, which led to a meeting between Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and Afghan National Security Adviser in London, was an important step in the direction aiming at close coordination and cooperation between the two governments.

It is in the common interest of both nations to stop cross-border movement of terrorists, he said, adding that Pakistan suffers greatly as a result of instability in neighbouring country, so Islamabad sincerely wants to see a peaceful, independent and prosperous Afghanistan.

Pakistan believes the two governments should cooperate to stop the cross-border movement of terrorists.

He underscored the importance of effective border management, which is in common interest of both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

To a question about efforts of some think tanks to create misunderstanding between Islamabad and Washington, the ambassador said people and leadership in the US want strong and friendly relations with Pakistan and a few people who are engaged in negative propaganda against the country are irrelevant.

He said Pakistan and the US had a historic and multi-faceted relationship spanning over seven decades.

Pakistan, he said, was looking forward to working closely with the new US administration in order to further strengthen the bilateral relations and to bring people from both the countries closer to each other.

Aizaz said the improved security situation and economic reforms had led to revival of economy, which was now growing at the rate of 4.7 percent.

All economic indicators are pointing upwards. Energy deficit will soon be a matter of the past. The resurgence of economy was attracting investors from all over the world, he said.

To another question, he said Pakistan wants good ties with the US, China, Russia and all neighbouring countries.

To another question, he said Pakistan and US had difference of opinion on the issue of CIA spy Shakil Afridi, who was currently jailed in Pakistan for violating the countrys law.

Spelling out his priorities, Ambassador Chaudhry said it was his mission to strengthen Pakistans relations with the US and win friends for Pakistan in American polity. He said it was important for the world to see the positive constructive reality of todays Pakistan.

Underlining the important role that the Pakistani American community is playing in the US, Ambassador Chaudhry stated that in line with the directions of the leadership, it would be his top priority to serve the community and address their issues and interests with missionary zeal.

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Afghanistan needs political solution: Aizaz - The News International

WASHINGTON (Pajhwok): Reiterating their firm commitment to Afghanistan, the United States President Donald Trump and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel have agreed to continue to work together in Afghanistan and against ISIS.

I am very glad that the United States is intending to continue to commit to the Afghan mission as well. Together we fight against Islamist terrorism. Germany is going to step up its work and is going to continue its work in Afghanistan, Merkel told reporters at a joint news conference with Trump at the White House on Friday.

Trump praised Germanys role in Afghanistan. I want to thank the chancellor for her leadership in supporting NATO and its efforts in Afghanistan. This has come at significant cost, including the lives of over 50 German soldiers whose sacrifice we greatly honor, said the US President.

Most importantly, the two countries must continue to work together to protect our people from radical Islamic terrorism and to defeat ISIS.

I applaud Chancellor Merkel for Germany's contributions, both civilian and military, as a counter-ISIS coalition member. We also recognize that immigration security is national security, he said.

We must protect our citizens from those who seek to spread terrorism, extremism and violence inside our borders. Immigration is a privilege, not a right, and the safety of our citizens must always come first without question, Trump said.

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US, Germany agree to work together in Afghanistan - Pajhwok Afghan News (subscription) (blog)

Anadolu Agency

Car bomb hits army base in eastern Afghanistan The Hindu A suicide car bomb detonated near an army base in the eastern Afghan province of Khost on Friday, killing one soldier and wounding several before the army repelled the attack on the base by four gunmen, the district chief said. The blast, 50 metres ... Taliban attack military base in southeast AfghanistanAnadolu Agency all 6 news articles »

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Car bomb hits army base in eastern Afghanistan - The Hindu

Deutsche Welle

Afghanistan: A women's running group Deutsche Welle A group of women meet in a park in Mazar-i-Sharif to go jogging. To help protect the women against attacks, the area is closed off to other visitors during training. Many in Afghanistan object to women doing sports in public. When Will the Carnage End in Afghanistan?Huffington Post John McCain and Lindsey Graham: Why we need more forces in AfghanistanCT Post 'I strangled a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan', says former commandoCowra Guardian TOLOnews all 11 news articles »

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Afghanistan: A women's running group - Deutsche Welle

The meeting in London on Wednesday between the Pakistani prime ministers special advisor on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, and the Afghan national security advisor, Hanif Atmar a meeting which was painstakingly brokered by Britain was aimed principally at reducing tensions between the countries following a series of major terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

The talks addressed Pakistani allegations regarding sanctuaries for terrorist groups on Afghan soil a mirror complaint to the longstanding Afghan allegations that Pakistan-based militant groups are targeting Afghanistan. India also makes similar allegations against Pakistan, which Pakistan counters by pointing a finger at India-backed militant groups established on Afghan soil.

Clearly, one session in London cannot untangle the Gordian knot. There is a three-way entanglement here and all three countries Pakistan, Afghanistan and India will have to be brought inside the tent, which is easier said than done, because the mutual tensions also stem from unresolved and intractable regional disputes over the disputed Durand Line and the Kashmir problem.

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However, the western powers cannot allow Pakistan-Afghan tensions to escalate further as any flashpoint would infinitely complicate matters for the US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

The appearance of ISIS in Afghanistan lends urgency to efforts to improve Afghan-Pakistan ties, because the stabilization of Afghanistan is impossible without Pakistans cooperation. Indeed, the only winners in the current situation are the terrorists themselves, and that can only aggravate the tenuous security situation within Afghanistan.

The limited objective of the London meeting was to reduce Pakistan-Afghan tensions and specifically to somehow facilitate a reopening of the border. Islamabad closed that border indefinitely following the terrorist attacks and its closure hurts the Afghan economy and people badly.

By closing the border, Pakistan displayed its high indignation that Kabul is unreceptive to its demands for a crackdown on the militant groups inside Afghanistan. But Pakistan cannot be unaware that Kabul lacks the resources to undertake such a mission on a sustained basis.

Pakistan would hope for more direct involvement by US-led western forces in Afghanistan to eliminate the Afghan sanctuaries for terrorist groups. Indeed, this might be considered an unstated pre-condition by Pakistan for the reopening of the Afghan border.

How far the US an NATO can meet Pakistani expectations remains to be seen. At any rate, they give an added dimension to the Trump administrations forthcoming decision on the level of troop deployment in Afghanistan.

Generally speaking, the climate in US-Pakistan relations has been noticeably improving under the Donald Trump administration. Pakistani comfort levels have risen since two key policymakers in the Trump administration are old Afghan hands and familiar faces Defence Secretary General James Mattis and National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. MacMaster.

At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Forces Committee in Washington on January 15, Gen. Mattis underscored beyond doubt the importance he attaches to incentivise Pakistans cooperation on issues critical to our national interests and the regions security, with focus on Pakistans need to expel or neutralise externally-focused militant groups that operate within its borders.

This line of thinking reappeared in the statement by the chief of the US Central Command, General Jospeh Votel, before the Senate Armed Services Committee, on March 9. In it he indicated that a new holistic policy outlook toward Pakistan is crystallizing in the Pentagon, one aimed at stemming the drift in US-Pakistan relations seen during the final lap of the Obama presidency.

Gen. Votel stressed that Pakistan is a critical partner and spoke encouragingly about Pakistans efforts to clamp down on terrorist groups. Importantly, he also touched on what Pakistan regards as the core issue namely, its tensions with India. He was critical of Indias policies to isolate Pakistan and voiced apprehension that tensions on Pakistans eastern border might detract from Islamabads efforts to secure its western border with Afghanistan.

Unsurprisingly, New Delhi appears to be sensitive to these US concerns which would explain to an extent the incipient signs that a resumption of the stalled India-Pakistan talks may be in the offing. Both New Delhi and Islamabad are lowering their rhetoric and have taken some humanitarian steps such as release of prisoners.

Without doubt, the British initiative to mediate between Kabul and Islamabad has happened in full consultation and coordination with the US. At a surprisingly early stage for a new US administration, Trumps team may have hit the ground running.

MK Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings including Indias ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001). He writes the Indian Punchline blog and has written regularly for the Asia Times since 2001.

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UK helps US renew focus on defeating terror in Afghanistan - Asia Times