Salahuddin Haider
The Afghan peace process, hanging fire since rather too long, is a classic example of too near, yet too far. It is still a dilly-dally affair—hope over despair, but the thirst for peace in Pakistan’s next door neighbour continues unabated, despite reverses. Islamabad’s role to secure peace in war-torn country had been widely acknowledged and Imran Khan government, remains undaunted but it is a dicey question of how soon and when?.
Luckily the golden triangle of United States, Afghan leadership, and Pakistani government do not look tired or frustrated, which is what is required, for, search for peace is historically a long drawn process. A glaring example of this is the protracted negotiations on Palestinian issue between Yasser Arafat, and Ashraf Pehlavi, sister of late Shah of Iran, and former US President Bill Clinton’s efforts to restore peace in Kosovo, in Northern Ireland, or the Jaffna problem of Sri Lanka. Each of these cases took years or decades to resolve, but as the saying goes, truth ultimately triumphs.
The three principal stake holders—United States, National Reconciliation Council chief Abdullah Abdullah, and Taliban leadership have been hectically engaged for considerably long time in their ambition to achieve much needed goal , but conflicts and clashes, tantamounting to civil war-like situations, has, no doubt, been a hurdle, but the major stumbling block has been sinister designs from the cunning coalition of Indian leader Nirender Modi, RSS and Tel Aviv. They are too ambitious to dominate the region, and derive a wedge in Islamic world, with tacit support from Washington. UAE and Bahre in have already fallen in trap, and now Sudan is in line.
Credit goes to Imran Khan whose bold and emphatic “NO” to recognise Israel, perhaps prevented Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim countries to be its camp followers. Pakistan’s viewpoint to make a collective decision on Israel, and ensure a two-nation theory of Palestine being a separate State poured water on Indian plans to push Pakistan in a corner. Delhi’s obvious intention to have leading or at least substantial role in Afghanistan , stands frustrated. While Tel Aviv wants to derive a wedge among Muslim States, the Indian intention clearly to dominate the region. Neither can succeed if the triangle of US, Pakistan and Taliban remained tied to close relationship.
Even a slight glance will convince many that the golden trio of Imran khan, General Qamar Bajwa, and foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has a worked wonders in conveying to the world that Pakistan stands for peace with honour and dignity.
Some Western analysts agree that weeks after the start of the first direct talks between Afghan government representatives and the non-militant Taliban groups willingness has produced some very positive results. The Doha negotiations opened the window for future settlement of the 19-yer old conflict finally to an end, though this is still too optimistic assessment. Those arguing that the prolonged negotiations does have some credibility, but is not entirely true. True Ashraf Ghani’s government differs with peace maker viewpoint, which could be one reason for the deadlock now being witnessed. The Afghan government’s desire to have an Islamic government after the American pull out of their 4,800 troops, is backed by Jihadist group of Taliban. But this should not frustrate the search for peace..
Second disappointing factor is the in-fight between militant groups and the government troops, but Washington and Pakistan are confident their efforts can come to a success. The visit to Pakistan of Abdullah Abdullah, and of US special representative on Afghanistan Zalmey Khalilzad, and his Pakistani counterpart Sadiq does indicate their eagerness to remain in hunt for achieving their goal. Determined efforts combined with sincerity, always pays off, and this could well be proven right in this particular case also. More Importantly the
IS or Daish, must be eliminated from Afghanistan, for they are blood thirsty people
“The peace process has stalled, and during that stall the tendency of all parties is to revert back to their ‘normal’ mode
of operations,” says Andrew Watkins, a senior analyst for Afghanistan at the International Crisis Group. “For the Taliban, a militant
insurgency, that mode is waging war.” But this is only half truth.
The fact that over the past several weeks, Taliban militants have staged assaults and bombings in 24 of Afghanistan’s 34
provinces, need not discourage those keen to permanent peace in a country, where foreign domination has always been rejected.
History bears testimony to that..
Even by the bloody standards of the Afghan war, the militants’ attacks in recent weeks have provoked widespread condemnation.
This is also true that, these stubborn groups said it had the right to kill anyone affiliated with the internationally backed Afghan government
or its foreign partners. But for how long? That is the most relevant question that has to be answered positively.
Whatever has happened in the past since the invasion of Afghanistan by former Soviet Union, and the mistake from America to
wage war against Bin Laden and his followers, turned things complicate, but time has changed, and so have thinking and viewpoints now.
This is possible if some Taliban segments, calling themselves mujahideen, must come out of their shelf, for now to be in tune with
time. Difficult situation but definitely not impossible. All that is needed to change the warlords thinking into peace loving mindset.
Pakistan has done well to ignore Western analysts and kept on with its sincere search for peace in the neighbourhood.
Whatever the Indian or Israeli designs, based on contempt and hatred against China and wooing Muslim States to American
camp, has to be resisted with toughness and strong determination, which Islamabad has been doing.
US President Donald Trump had set Demeter 31 deadline for withdrawal of its 4,800 troops, which is a happy augury, but
Washington must simultaneously check Tel Aviv from becoming hurdle in its way like Trump had rebuked India only recently.
One prerequisite to move forward in search for the goal of peace, is to stop air strikes on Taliban camps in Afghanistan, because
that will only generate hatred and contempt, and destroy the peace process.
Under agreement, already arrived at Doha or elsewhere, all foreign forces are to leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in return for
counter terrorism guarantees from the Taliban, If this deadline could be advanced to December 31 , this will do tremendous good
