Abu Dhabi,1 March 2013 (WAM) - Afghanistan and Pakistan are in a serious security conundrum. In their endeavour to plan for the post-2014 security strategy, they have failed to see from the same prism, a UAE newspaper said today.

"The scheduled exit of coalition forces from Afghanistan by the end of next year, after more than 12 years of presence, will lead to withdrawal of the cushion that used to protect Afghanistan especially, and Pakistan in a psychological mode from major acts of non-state actors? militancy," the English language daily Khaleej Times said in its editorial today.

That nervousness is widely evident as Kabul and Islamabad are busy seeking guarantees from the West, asking for an umbrella and institutionalized infrastructure that should prevent the region from further slipping into chaos.

"The London?s Chequers communique, released after detailed negotiations between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Britain, has just furthered the impression that there is an understanding gulf between the stakeholders, and there isn?t any mechanism through which they can cope with realities in the aftermath of ISAF-US signing off from Southwest Asia.

The Taleban, too, in no time made it clear that they are not on board until and unless their precondition of foreign forces exiting Afghanistan becomes a reality. In another move, the government-nominated religious scholars on both sides of the Durand Line, who were supposed to jot down a blueprint for engaging the Taleban on either sides in talks, fell out owing to reasons of domestic exigency. That was one of the most deadly impact on peace prospects, as their non-conformity proved beyond any doubt that there is no plan at hand to tame down soaring sentiments across the porous borders, and security-related issues remain far from addressed." This is a serious situation and warrants political intervention. The fact that Pakistan and Afghanistan are at the verge of elections that will possibly see new administrations come in could derail the verbal understanding that is there between them. In order to realise genuine peace prospects, all the initiatives that were taken for obliging the Taleban into an institutional arrangement should be implemented without wasting any more time. That includes opening up of a Taleban office in Doha, allowing them the required political space to operate in Afghanistan, and entering into meaningful talks with Pakistani Taleban for silencing their guns. The rise of militancy and Taleban affiliated groups in Pakistan is proving to be a nightmare for a nation that is reeling under a corrupt and inefficient administration.

The paper cocluded by saying institutional arrangements such as AF-Pak and the regional trading body, ECO, are in need of being revamped and made operational.

"In the same manner, the present intelligence sharing medium should also be overhauled to make it more effective and foolproof. Personal leadership involvement of regional countries, including Iran, India, Russia and China, could act as a catalyst in cementing a peace regime."

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2013.