Unfortunately, in recent years, tension and mistrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan have in-creased.
The biggest reason behind this tension is the issue of terrorism and cross border attacks over which Pakistan has continuously expressed its concerns. Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan government not to allow its territory to be used against Pakistan. On several occasions, Pakistan has also stated that banned organizations, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are present in Afghanistan and plan terrorist activities against Pakistan from there. Pakistan’s position is quite justified, as the presence of such groups has become a threat not only to Pakistan but also to the peace of the entire region. For decades, the country has suffered from war, foreign intervention, political instability and economic crisis and even today it appears far from achieving peace. Although it was expected that stability would emerge in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, the ground realities seem quite different. The activities of various militant organizations have created new threats not only for Pakistan but for the peace of the entire region. Pakistan, China, Iran, Russia and the Central Asian states have repeatedly expressed concern that Afghan territory is becoming a safe haven for certain terrorist groups. Recently, Pakistan’s military spokesperson, General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, clearly stated that the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan could prove dangerous for the entire world. His statement is, in fact, a serious warning to the international community not to ignore the Afghan situation by consid-ering it merely an internal matter. In the past as well the world has paid a heavy price for negligence regarding Afghanistan.
For many years, Pakistan has consistently maintained the position that Afghanistan should prevent its territory from being used against Pakistan. Pakistani officials have repeatedly shared evidence and concerns with the Afghan government re-garding terrorist organizations operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan. However, there is a growing perception in Pakistan that Afghan authorities have not shown the seriousness and practical measures that were expected on this issue. As a result, the trust deficit between the two countries has increased, along with rising border tensions. If Afghanistan does not take clear and effective measures on this matter, the prospects for peace and stability in the region may suffer even further. This situation is especially alarming for Pakistan because the country has already suffered immense human and economic losses in the war against terrorism. Pakistan does not want to return to such circumstances again under any condition. On the other hand, the silence of the international com-munity is also becoming questionable. If militant groups continue to enjoy freedom and safe havens in Afghanistan, the threat of terrorism will not remain confined to the region alone. It cannot be ignored that much of the uncertainty, fear and instability prevailing in the world today is linked to terrorism. Certain circles and militant groups in Afghanistan are known for their rigid and uncompromising atti-tudes, which negatively affect efforts for regional peace. It is the responsibility of the Afghan gov-ernment to clearly distance itself from such elements that are harming the peace of neighboring countries. If Afghanistan does not take decisive action against extremist groups operating on its ter-ritory, not only the region but Afghanistan’s own future may continue to remain unstable.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Faisalabad.
