Ali Sukhanver
THERE are two terms used for those who know how to intrude a computer belonging to someone else; the Hackers and the Crackers. A hacker is a person who constantly seeks further knowledge by hacking a computer and freely shares what he has discovered. A cracker is a person who breaks into someone’s computer system, often on a network; bypasses passwords or brings changes in computer programs. In other ways he intentionally breaches computer security. The basic difference between a computer hacker and a cracker is that a hacker never intentionally damages the data whereas a cracker is one whose sole target it to destroy the software. In our day to day life, we meet so many hackers and crackers but most of the time they are in disguise. It becomes very difficult to decide whether they are Hackers or Crackers. A strange state of confusion remains persistent and things never get clear. Same is the case with our neighbouring country Afghanistan. No one in Pakistan knows how to please President Ashraf Ghani. Hosting millions of the Afghan refugees for more than three decades is really a very tough job for a country like Pakistan, already overburdened with a lot of financial and regional problems. The presence of these refugees has ever been a severe burden not only on the economy of Pakistan but also on Pakistan’s social set-up. But in spite of all these bitter realities Pakistan has always treated these refugees as its own nationals. Unfortunately, the official hi-ups of Afghanistan have never realized and admitted Pakistan’s services in this regard.
Be it President Ashraf Ghani or Amrullah Saleh, the former NDS Chief, most of the time they target Pakistan by their fake propaganda stories. Recently talking to the Hindustan Times newspaper Amrullah Saleh has blamed that Pakistan is using the Taliban to influence the situation in Afghanistan through terrorism and violence. He described Pakistan as Taliban’s ‘first home’ because the Taliban leaders engaged in negotiations with the US in Doha fly to there from Karachi or Islamabad. One could never expect such a childish argument from a political leader who has recently introduced himself as vice presidential candidate in the next elections. If a person flies from the New York airport to Dubai, it does not mean that he is representing the US government. Such nonsense logic reflects nothing but immaturity of a prejudiced mind.
Recently a video clip was uploaded on social media which shows thousands of Afghan refugees returning to meet their relatives in Afghanistan. They all are happy, healthy and full of life. Many of them are seen carrying bags containing gifts for their relatives in Afghanistan. The most interesting thing is that soon they all would be coming back to Pakistan saying good-bye to their own country and they would do that in the same joyful manner. Nowhere in the world, are the refugees as comfortable and happy as the Afghan refugees are in Pakistan but even then no appreciation for Pakistan from the Afghan official authorities. Blaming Pakistan for all that goes wrong in Afghanistan is not a new practice. In the first week of this March, the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani alleged talking to the CNN that Pakistan was protecting the sanctuaries of Afghan Taliban in Pakistan. This irresponsible statement was strongly condemned by everyone in Pakistan and it was taken as another example of selfishness which has now become the ‘trade-mark’ of the Afghan officials.
A few weeks back, the Afghanistan government claimed that it has arrested an alleged leader of ISIS who had been involved allegedly in several attacks in Pakistan that killed tens of civilians. According to the Afghan authorities the ISIS leader was arrested on 5 April. Getting the news of this arrest Pakistan’s Foreign Office called in Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan and demanded handing over of the arrested ISIS leader. Pakistan’s Foreign Office further conveyed Pakistan’s deep concerns over the activities of the arrested leader who was involved in nefarious anti-Pakistan activities in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Foreign Office emphasized that the two sides (Pakistan and Afghanistan) should coordinate actions against the menace of terrorism, through established mechanism. The Afghan government has yet not responded positively to Pakistan’s demand and experts are of the opinion that Pakistan would never get the desired response to this demand because Ashraf Ghani government has never been cooperative in such situations. If it were India instead of Pakistan, the response of Ashraf Ghani government would have been altogether otherwise.
As far as the alleged backing of Taliban by Pakistan is concerned, Pakistan has nothing to do with it; the Taliban matter is purely an internal rather indigenous matter of Afghanistan. The Taliban are originally Afghan citizens and their ‘birth’ is simply a reaction against the foreign intruders. There would be no Taliban if the NATO forces say farewell to the Afghan lands. All over the world, when there is an Afghanistan type of intrusion, Taliban type of reactionary groups automatically comes into formation. Realities could never be denied and the Afghan Talibans are a reality. It is a proof of their presence, popularity, authority and their belonging to Afghanistan that the US authorities felt compelled to talk to them considering them the major stake-holder. Moreover they have major control over large Afghan territory. It is something very illogical that in spite of all these facts and figures, President Ashraf Ghani always keeps on blaming Pakistan for nurturing and patronizing the Taliban. Pakistan has a lot of its own problems other than the burden of millions of Afghan refugees. Instead of putting blame on Pakistan, President Ashraf Ghani must try to bring his own home to order. No other country has ever been as cooperative with Afghanistan as Pakistan has been. Hostility against the neighbours is never a positive attitude; it simply widens the distances.
—The writer is freelance columnist based in Multan.
