Plight of Afghans
READING the article “The world leaves Afghanistan in lurch’ by Lt Col Muhammad Usman, published in this newspaper on January 19, prompted me to express my views on the subject.
The writer has correctly described the man-made tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan, in the following words: “Afghanistan is in a state of stupor.
The public basic services are not being delivered. The financial sector is paralyzed. The economy is in free fall. The hunger and destitution is galloping and enveloping the most vulnerable Afghans. In brief, the state is collapsing and human disaster looms large.
Many opine that emerging situation is poised to kill more number of Afghans than killed with bullets and bombs in the last two decades.”
While the writer praises Pakistan for doing all it could for Afghans and Afghanistan, he expresses extreme shock at the lack of appropriate level of response from the US and its western allies, and even from OIC countries.
However, we know how the United States and its western allies devastated Iraq, Syria and Libya for no good reason, apart from ravaging Afghanistan, and strengthening Israel at the cost of Palestinians.
In these circumstances, is it realistic to expect a great humanitarian response for Afghanistan from the US and its Western allies? Also, looking at the picture from another angle, we note that not just the US and its Western allies, but rather the whole world has made demands on the present rulers of Afghanistan to form an inclusive and representative government which respects rights of all Afghans and provides for equal rights of females. Now, let us be honest. Are these demands unreasonable?
We know that Taliban had formed a government even decades earlier, which was sent packing by the US and its allies without much difficulty, simply because it had failed to win support of various tribes and sections of Afghan population, including women.
Unfortunately, while we like to think that Afghan Taliban of today are a different breed altogether from the Taliban of the 1990s, their conduct does nothing to support such a view.
After all, if even the sympathetic neighbours of Afghanistan have failed to recognize Afghan government so far, it is solely because of Afghan Taliban’s failure to accept the genuine demands from the international community as stated above.
After all, these demands are quite reasonable and in no way contravene Islamic requirements as interpreted by the well-reputed, highly-educated and broad-minded Islamic scholars.
So, if Afghan Taliban have no hidden and nefarious agenda, what is preventing them from accepting these demands? And if Afghanistan’s neighbours, including the sympathetic ones like Pakistan, China and Russia have not recognized Afghan government yet – which fact is preventing the free flow of aid to Afghanistan – the responsibility for the suffering of Afghan population falls squarely on the shoulders of Afghan Taliban. The writer says that Pakistan is one country that has provided maximum help to Afghanistan.
However, Afghan Taliban have not reciprocated our gesture. Soon after coming to power, they released prisoners, including the hardened TTP criminals wanted for killing innocent persons in Pakistan. And Afghan-origin terrorist operations in Pakistan are on the rise.
Also, Afghan Taliban’s bitter opposition to the erection of fence clearly demonstrates their unwillingness to accept the Durand Line which is recognized internationally as the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
To stop terrorist activities in Pakistani soil from Afghanistan, Pakistan started erecting a fence along the 2,600 kilometre Durand Line — with convenient and controlled cross-over points to allow legitimate movement of persons and to facilitate trade — which is now nearly ninety per cent complete.
However, on coming to power, Afghan Taliban created problems in this respect and briefly stopped our authorities from erecting the fence and, according to some reports, even confiscated some bundles of wires. Moreover, their spokesman proudly announced that they have stopped the Pakistan Army from building the ‘illegal’ fence.
Unfortunately, these gestures by the Afghan Taliban government can in no way be regarded as ‘friendly’, and are in fact the exact opposite.
It is no exaggeration to say that of Afghanistan’s neighbours, especially economically, technically and militarily strong China can provide maximum help to Afghanistan and even put Afghanistan on a path to progress and prosperity by helping dig up Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth.
Moreover, Afghanistan’s neighbours have a natural interest in bringing peace to Afghanistan which could also facilitate China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’.
However, they have genuine apprehensions regarding the rigid stance of Afghan rulers as well as spread of militancy, extremism and terrorism in the region, through possible collaboration between Afghan Taliban and Afghanistan-based terrorists, especially TTP and others based elsewhere in the region.
Also, Afghan Taliban-sponsored talks and ceasefire between TTP and Pakistan government have failed because of rejection of TTP’s demands for introduction of their brand of Shura in Pakistan and reversal of merger of tribal areas with the KP.
However, instead of pressuring TTP, Afghan Taliban have ‘advised’ Pakistan to consider TTP demands which clearly shows which side they are on.
In these circumstances, and in the absence of Afghan Taliban’s unwavering stand on the vital points detailed above, the writer’s hope that the international community should queue up to help Afghanistan — with China and Russia in the lead — seems a bit far-fetched.
Humans do make mistakes at times but the wise ones learn from their mistakes whereas we, in Pakistan, fail to do so, and throwing all caution, opt to continue our journey on a wing and a prayer. And going a step further, we expect others to follow our lead.
Why else would we be so willing to embrace the associates of those who gave us over 70,000 dead and a US $ 100 billion loss/damage to infrastructure.
— The writer is senior political analyst based in Karachi.
