If New Delhi finds itself out in the cold in Afghanistan, both the Congress-led UPA and BJP-led NDA have only themselves to blame. Each has been in power for a full decade from 2001, without reaching out to the Taliban, points out Ajai Shukla.
If the Taliban have proved one thing over these two decades, it is that they are way smarter than their big brother, observes Shekhar Gupta.
Seeking to strike common ground with China on key matters related to South Asia, the US has said it wants Beijing to "coordinate more" with its efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat" Al-Qaeda.
"Washington helped engineer the deal that permitted Bhutto's return. Now, it must help her and Pakistan truly move toward democracy," the New York Times said.
"Our relationships with each state are based on US national interests in relation to that state. The US-Pakistan relationship is a long-term, broad-based partnership based on factors such as strong trade and investment, security interests, and long-standing cultural and educational ties," the US Embassy said in a statement on Thursday.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrives in the US on Tuesday and is likely to face pressure to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.
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