The Biden administration and Af-Pak.

Byline: Muhammad J Siddiqui

Joe Biden has finally been sworn in as the new President of the United States, and in choosing his cabinet, he has surrounded himself with seasoned and astute diplomats such as Anthony Blinkin, Susan Rice and Samantha Matthews. Biden's foreign policy will be a continuation of Trump's doctrine, with no major changes anticipated regarding the US' stance on China, Israel, India or Iran. Similarly, Pakistan's ties with the US are correlated to peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The first act of the Biden administration on the Af-Pak front is a review of the Afghan Reconciliation Agreement. Pakistan is in a very delicate situation, as it is primarily held responsible for all Taliban related violence in Afghanistan and has been constantly viewed as a destabilising factor in Afghanistan. The following is a brief overview of US experience in Afghanistan and future strategies that Pakistan might consider to stabilise Afghanistan.

The US departs Afghanistan in the midst of a deteriorating political situation, however, its legacy includes giving the country a progressive constitution which guarantees women and minority rights; building of a social infrastructure, building of NDS and Army, as a result of which all major ethnic groups in Afghanistan now view the US as a mediator and a peace broker for the region.

Due to prevailing ethnic misgivings, corruption, warlords, opium trade and a crippling economy, the political landscape of Afghanistan has become complex and complicated. The US strategically retained the balance of power of the Afghan government by separating divisions of power between the various ethnic groups: The Presidency of the country to the Pashtuns, Defence to the Tajiks, and a sizable representation (approximately thirty percent) of the parliament to the Uzbeks and Hazaras. Currently, the political situation in Kabul is increasingly unstable as Mr Ghani, the current President, has lost popular support in Kabul and the current political crisis is heading towards the formation of an interim government with Abdullah Abdullah and Mr Karzai both vying for key positions.

Dealing with Afghanistan in an open and transparent manner is perhaps a top priority for Pakistan. To address the Afghan quagmire, Pakistan must set up comprehensive, long-term bilateral agreements dealing with trade, security, water resources, immigration, and education with Afghanistan. America's demand for higher commitment from Pakistan for...