Pakistan Boycotts Afghan Conference

Peter Bergen

Pakistan has decided to boycott the upcoming conference regarding the future of Afghanistan. The conference scheduled for December 5, 2011; in Bonn, Germany would try to start a reconciliation process in war-wracked Afghanistan.

Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst, added that ‘without Pakistan there can’t be a real settlement in Afghanistan. After all almost all the Taliban leaders are living in Pakistan and only Pakistan can put pressure on them to come to the negotiation table.’

The two nations are accusing each other, Pakistan accuses the Afghans of harbouring militants and Afghanistan claims that Pakistani shells struck Afghan territory.

Ashraf Ghani, a senior adviser of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, stated the possibility that Afghanistan and Pakistan could be on a course toward military conflict. (AV)