Author: K J M Varma in Islamabad
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: April 10, 2001
Pakistan may ask for United Nations
observers to be placed across its 2,500 km boundary with Afghanistan to
oversee its compliance to UN sanctions against the Taleban for countering
the joint moves by Russia and France to press for similar sanctions against
Islamabad for its continued support to Afghanistan's ruling militia.
As Pakistan diplomats, both in UN
and several European capitals, geared up to counter Russian and French
attempts to bring about a UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions
against Pakistan, official sources in Islamabad did not rule out Pakistan
throwing open its Afghan border, known as Durand Line, for an effective
UN supervision.
The Russian and French moves come
ahead of the scheduled Security Council review of the implementation of
the UN sanctions against the Taleban on Friday.
Pakistan has already stated on eve
of the implementation of the UN sanctions against the Taleban, which came
into effect on January 19 this year, that it would fully enforce sanctions
and asked for UN monitoring mechanism to oversee the implementation.
Meanwhile, according to media reports
Pakistan diplomats in the UN began hectic efforts to prevent the Russian
and French efforts to gather any significant support.
Pakistan's permanent representative
at UN, Shamshad Ahmad, addressed a press conference at New York on Monday
to inform the world media that Islamabad has fully complied with the UN
sanctions against the Taleban and dismissed the report of providing support
to them.
The Russian and French move to corner
Pakistan was seen by the media here as an attempt by both the countries
to bolster the anti-Taleban alliance of Ahmed Shah Masood.
The Afghan leader returned to the
centrestage of Afghan politics last year when he suddenly surfaced in Brussels
to address the European Parliament on a special invitation.
As if to counter this, a 12-member
delegation of Taleban's hardline Mullahs comprising of Afghanistan's Chief
Justice Mullah Noor Mohammad Saqib and Foreign Minister, Mullah Ahmmad
Mutwakil received a sudden invitation from Qatar king Sheikh Aamid al Kalifa
al Thani.
Though the Taleban claimed to be
controlling over 95 per cent of the territory, it is so far recognised
only by Paksitan, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Of the three Pakistan only extended
diplomatic status to the Taleban.
The Qatari king, who is also the
current chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Countries sent a special
plane to Afghanistan's Kandahar town to pick up the delegation. Qatar managed
to obtain UN permission before it sent its plane to Kandahar, media reports
said.
Commenting on the visit, Pakistan
daily, The News said the timing of the Taleban visit to Qatar coinciding
with Masood's arrival in Europe could be incidental. Still it would provide
the Taleban with a rare opportunity to travel abroad and explain their
case at time when their isolation has become eve more pronounced and international
opposition to their policies at its peak.
