ISLAMABAD, March 9: Afghan President Hamid Karzai, arriving here on Wednesday on a two-day visit, is expected to share with his interlocutors the role Kabul had envisaged for Pakistan under its ‘reintegration and reconciliation’ plan.

Diplomats in Kabul and Islamabad were upbeat ahead of Mr Karzai’s visit, during which he would meet President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. They anticipated significant progress in the ‘complicated’ and at times ‘uneasy’ ties between the two countries.

“The message from the visit will be very clear — that the two countries are now on the same page,” a senior diplomat said.

The bonhomie is already in the air. The anticipated appointment of Pakistan-educated Farooq Wardak, who enjoys good rapport with Islamabad, as head of the “Afghan reconciliation and reintegration commission” signals Afghanistan’s desire to benefit from Pakistan’s assistance in the peace process.

Mr Wardak, who is currently making arrangements for April 29 peace jirga in his country, is said to have held consultative sessions with Pakistani officials regarding the proposed process, to be completed in three to five years. Pakistan looks to be equally comfortable with the expected composition of the commission.

The peace body, a source said, was already working on terms of reference for the engagement with ‘armed opposition’ — a reference to Taliban and other militant groups fighting Mr Karzai’s government.

Saying it is difficult to define Pakistan’s expected role, analysts say it would largely pertain to facilitating dialogue with Taliban leaders living in Pakistan.

“Pakistan has already sent a clear message about the role it could play by arresting Mullah Baradar and a number of other Taliban commanders,” a senior analyst said.

Pakistani leaders, besides learning about the role they are expected to play in the peace process, would be equally keen to know what plans Mr Karzai had for repatriating Afghan refugees still residing in Pakistan. Pakistan is still hosting some 1.7 million Afghan refugees.

If things worked out as expected, a diplomatic observer noted, there could be a major movement towards ending irritants in bilateral relations and evolving a joint strategy for a stable and secure Afghanistan.

A lot of importance is being attached to the visit by Iranian president to Kabul just before Mr Karzai’s visit to Islamabad, particularly in view of the successful Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan talks that preceded the London conference on Afghanistan.
If you want to follow news on your mobile, click on http://dawn.com/mobile/ and download Pakistan's first mobile news application. Currently this application is for Nokia phones only