Center for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad organized a round-table discussion with Dr. Barnett R. Rubin, the Senior Adviser to the Special Representative of the President for Afghanistan and Pakistan in the US Department of State on ¿political reconciliation in Afghanistan– on October 17, 2012 in its office. Dr Rubin has worked as the Director of Studies and Senior Fellow at the Center on International Cooperation of New York University. Major General (Retd.) Ather Abbas, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Shehzad Chauhdry, former Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau, Danyal Aziz, Chris Waters Deputy Political Counselor at US Embassy, Islamabad and former ambassadors Ayaz Wazir and Arif Ayub participated in the round-table. CRSS Executive Director Imtiaz Gul moderated the discussions.

During the discussion, it came through that the Obama administration believes the core objectives of intervention in Afghanistan i.e. to degrade and weaken the Al-Qaeda as well as to delink it from the Taliban have been achieved. The US now wants to focus on how to prepare the way to the bulk pullout of foreign troops from Afghanistan. This means a renewed focus on political reconciliation in Afghanistan as well as expectations of Pakistan. The cut-off date for troops– withdrawal was also aimed at bringing Afghan government, Taliban and regional states together for finding a sustainable solution and to ensure regional stability. Also because US never designated Taliban as its enemy that is why it wants to involve them in political reconciliation process, but within the framework of Afghanistan local aw and constitution. Moreover, the US wants to take the neighboring states of Afghanistan on board for reaching out to Taliban and to find a regional solution to the Afghan issue.

Pakistani analysts were of the view that only an all-inclusive Afghan dialogue and transparent engagement by the United States could probably help all Afghan and regional stake-holders to get on to the same page. Pakistan, they said, has already suffered tremendously, and the last thing it would want is a destabilized Afghanistan on its western fronts.