Afghans Nervous as Nawaz Sharif Returns

Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League will take his third turn at prime minister, and Afghans are wary about relations between the two countries, considering that Sharif backed mujahedin resistance against the Soviet-backed government in the 1980s and recognized the Taliban government in 1997, report Hafizullah Gardesh and Mina Habib for the Institute for War & Peace Reporting. “Kabul continues to assert that Islamabad harbours the Taleban as a deliberate tactic to undermine Afghan statehood, not simply as the result of loss of control in the wild border regions of Pakistan’s northwest. Recent skirmishes between Afghan and Pakistani troops on a still disputed frontier have added to the tensions.” During the campaign, Sharif expressed support for a negotiated peace settlement with the Taliban. Afghans interviewed by Gardesh and Habib express hope that Sharif’s business background prevails over military and intelligence influences and that the prime minister views a stable and peaceful Afghanistan as a potential trade partner, essential for revitalizing Pakistan’s struggling economy. – YaleGlobal