New Afghan Leader's Visit Leaves Pakistanis Optimistic About Ties - New York Times

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Afghanistan’s new president, Ashraf Ghani, met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday, the closing day of a state visit that left Pakistanis optimistic about a new start for the neighboring countries’ often-acrimonious relationship.

“This was a serious charm fest on both sides, and pretty much set the tone, as a start, for a much-needed reset in bilateral ties,” said Sherry Rehman, a former ambassador to the United States who, along with other Pakistani politicians, met with Mr. Ghani on Saturday morning.

“He is making friends in all the right places,” Ms. Rehman said of the Afghan president. “He seems quite clear that he’d like a fresh start. It is a key moment in the bilateral relationship.”

Mr. Ghani met with Mr. Sharif at the prime minister’s official residence on a hill overlooking Islamabad, where he was greeted with an honor guard. At a news conference after their talks, both leaders spoke with warmth and conviviality, in a marked departure from the mutual suspicion that marked the countries’ relations during the tenure of Mr. Ghani’s predecessor, Hamid Karzai.

“We must overcome the past,” Mr. Ghani said. “We will not permit the past to destroy the future.” Mr. Sharif praised Mr. Ghani’s “resolve and determination” and said he had “no doubt” that the new president would succeed in office.

“Our two countries face formidable challenges, including extremism and terrorism, a precarious security environment and transnational crimes,” Mr. Sharif said. “I am convinced that we can effectively meet them, through common resolve and common endeavors.”

Later in the day, the two leaders met again to watch a friendly cricket match between their countries’ teams, which Afghanistan won.

Afghan officials for years have accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, including by providing its leaders with safe havens in Pakistan’s semiautonomous tribal regions. More recently, Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of sheltering militants who orchestrate terror attacks on Pakistani soil.

Mr. Ghani, who took office in September, did not mention those issues in public during his two-day visit, which began on Friday with talks with Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, and other officials. Instead, Mr. Ghani’s public comments were focused on trade and economics.

But the question of Taliban sanctuaries on both sides of the border was discussed in private, said a Pakistani official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the news media.

“We stressed that the blame game has to stop,” the official said. Referring to Mr. Ghani, he said, “He was quite in agreement and said that both sides need to work together to enhance and improve security.”

Pakistani analysts were optimistic that real improvement in the countries’ relationship could be at hand.

“Both countries want to end an era of latent hostilities, using proxies against each other,” said Rasul Bakhsh Rais, director general of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, a policy research center.

“The Afghans have realized that denying space to groups or countries that are against Pakistan will be important to win the support of Pakistanis,” Mr. Rais said. “Similarly, there is a realization in Pakistan that what hurts Afghanistan will ultimately hurt Pakistan.”