AN emergency meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Monday, convened to discuss the situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of Kabul, decided that the principle of non-interference in Afghanistan must be adhered declaring Pakistan’s intention to remain committed to an “inclusive political settlement” in the neighbouring war-torn country.
The participants of the meeting reaffirmed that Pakistan would “continue working with the international community and all Afghan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political settlement”, terming it as “the way forward” for the representation of all Afghan ethnic groups.
The Taliban have declared the end of war in Afghanistan and started the process of retrieval of license from individual citizens, which is the right approach in view of the apprehensions being expressed by Pakistan as well as other circles that spoilers could undermine the prospects of durable peace in the country.
The strategy might work if implemented across the board but genuine peace and stability would remain an elusive dream until and unless a consensus is achieved on power sharing.
So far, the Taliban have behaved responsibly and a majority of the international community is appreciative of the way they adopted to avert bloodshed.
It also augurs well that despite being in control of almost the entire country, their spokespersons are reiterating the resolve to go for an inclusive government, which is a must not just to reassure all segments of Afghan population but also get crucial international recognition that assumes special significance in view of the gigantic task of reconstruction and rebuilding, which requires global support and cooperation.
Prime Minister Imran Khan did well by promptly convening a meeting of the National Security Committee to deliberate upon the latest developments in Afghanistan and their impact on Pakistan as well as the South Asian region.
Pakistan is the most affected country due to unending turmoil in Afghanistan, therefore, it genuinely wants a solution that is acceptable to all stakeholders in the neighbouring country.
Pakistan has long been emphasizing that there was no military solution to the conflict and that only a political solution centred at power sharing can guarantee peace and security in Afghanistan.
This position is borne out by the statement of the US President Joe Biden, who acknowledged on Monday “the events we are seeing now are sadly the proof that no amount of US military force would ever deliver a stable, united, secure Afghanistan”, a lesson the world’s only superpower learnt after twenty years of a futile military mission in Afghanistan.
Like foreign military intervention, no system or government imposed from outside can deliver and this is yet another lesson from the Taliban revolution as a Government installed with the backing of the most influential bloc of the nations collapsed just like a castle of sand and a non-committed army of 300,000 could not withstand the Taliban pressure even for a few hours.
The true nature of the regime imposed on Afghan people in the name of elections was exposed by a report of the Russian Embassy in Kabul, which said former President Ashraf Ghani fled with cars and a helicopter full of dollars and this might be in addition to the wealth amassed in foreign banks and assets created abroad.
Isn’t it ironic that a corrupt ruler was facilitated in all respects but a US official declared on Monday that the Taliban would not have access to Afghan reserves held in the US? The principle of non-interference, widely recognized the world over, demands each and every country as well as different forums and multilateral institutions should desist from acts and policies that are considered favourable to some and discriminatory to other segments of the Afghan population.
Foreign military intervention was crude interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, which has ended because of a long struggle by the Taliban, but the machinations being adopted by the US-led West also constitute gross interference as these are aimed at denying Afghan people the right to decide their own future and way of life.
As regional countries like Pakistan, Iran, China, Russia and Central Asian Republics are the ultimate sufferers of the instability in Afghanistan, they should join hands in facilitating a political solution based on power sharing and Afghan culture and traditions.
The situation demands threadbare discussions by Parliament but one fails to understand why the Government is reluctant to convene its joint sitting for the purpose.
