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At the invitation of President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, four veteran Pakistani Pashtun nationalist political figures visited Kabul and discussed with Afghan leaders the ways and means to improve political relations, security situation and cooperate in the war on terror and enhance economic cooperation between the two neighboring states.
The group includes Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the leader of a Pashtun nationalist party in Pakistan's Balouchistan province, Asfandyar Wali, the leader of Pashtun nationalist party of Awami National Party in Khyber Pashtunkhah province of Pakistan, Senator Afrasiab Khatak and Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, also a Pashtun leader from Pakistan.
Afghan media has given coverage with analysis to the visit of the Pakistani political figures and their meeting with Afghan leaders, which included Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and former president Hamid Karzai besides President Ghani. Many called for meetings with more influential political figures from Pakistan.
The newspaper Eight Subh said in an article published on Sunday, "It would have served better in bilateral relations if leaders of big political parties from Pakistan visited Kabul."
"Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Afrasiab Khatak, Asfandyar Wali and Aftab Ahmad Shan Sherpao are traditional friends of Afghanistan who have visited Afghanistan several times in the past," the paper said.
It also urged the leaders in Kabul to approach big and powerful Pakistani political parties such as Pakistan Muslim League party under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan People's Party under the leadership of former president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Tahrik-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice) under the chairmanship of Imaran Khan.
"Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan People's Party and Tahrik- e-Insaf are the big political parties that have influence in Pakistan that they can influence their government to change policy. But the Pakistani Pashtun politicians visited Kabul has little influence to do," a political analyst and former diplomat Ahmad Sayedi told local media on Saturday.
"Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Afrasiab Khatak, Asfandyar Wali and Aftab Sherpao are not in a position to pressurize Islamabad and Pakistan's notorious intelligence agency, the ISI, to change their policy with regard to supporting Taliban and the war in Afghanistan," another political watcher Bashir Bezhan said in talks with local media Saturday.
