ISI-NDS pact based on mutual sincerity

Pakistan’s intelligence and defence circles have taken exception to the campaign unleashed by design by certain analysts in a section of the local press by way of which the ISI-NDS agreement is being painted as a deal that doesn’t enjoy the support of broad cross-section of Afghanistan’s public opinion.
The campaign has relied upon the disjointed statements of two political figures of Afghanistan who have questioned the agreement with an ‘enemy’ or ‘the country that has supported the forces that brought about instability inside Afghanistan’. The fact of the matter is that these terms have been wrongly, unjustifiably and maliciously used for Pakistan by the two Afghan politicians. These statements are disjointed and don’t conform to the overall milieu and the background of Afghanistan’s socio-political and ethnic history that has not been discussed by the detractors of Pak-Afghan intelligence agreement in theiranalysis.
Without taking into account all that, the statements in question will be categorised as disjointed or out-of-context statements. Moreover, if one were to analyse the words used in these statements that only means to malign Pakistan and project it as an ill-wisher of Afghanistan; it should be done on the yardstick of ground realities of the Afghan society and polity and not only on the basis of the redundant (since long) theory of strategic depth and the so-called harbouring of Taliban and their Haqqani network affiliated against Afghanistan as stated by Pakistan’s former President General Pervez Musharraf.
Dealing with these two questions one by one, the sources have firstly taken up the outdated ‘strategic depth’ theory. According to these circles, it is absolutely wrong to assume that Pakistani establishment of the past was driven by the considerations of a regional super power mindset like the one cherished for long by India that still aspires to be the master of the region, treating the neighbouring countries as its satellites. This particular perspective—and the perception—is India-inspired which makes the handful of Afghan critics of Pakistan look at Pakistan through the Indian prism.
As for the strategic depth theory or any other strategy theory, it is usually formulated throughout the world, in the defence and establishment’s planning centres in the light of the circumstances prevailing on ground. As such, strategies and counter-strategies continue to be made and changed, but nowadays, diplomatic connectivity and global recognition or sway matters a lot, if not more, in the matters of consolidation of strategic gains.
The same happened to the strategic depth theory that is no more. At no point of time, Pakistan had been inimical towards Afghanistan. Pakistan is the only neighbour of Afghanistan that has been a source of strength and stability for the people of Afghanistan. It still houses almost the largest number of refugees in the world that have come from Afghanistan. This phenomenon is just but natural, given the factors of religious-cum-ethnic and linguistic affinity and geographical contiguity between the two neighbours.
Pakistan’s establishment and most of the governments of Pakistan have always treated Afghanistan like a younger brother, but the sceptical thinking inspired by negative propaganda by anti-Pakistan agencies/propagandists has impeded clear and true perceptions about Pakistan’s sincerity and sacrifices for their Afghan brethren. The sacrifices are innumerable and need no emphasis through any narrative or counter-argument.
However, Pakistan has never desired any compensation for these invaluable sacrifices rendered for Afghan cause or for the protection and welfare of Afghan people. As for the allegation usually levelled by anti-Pakistan propagandists that Pakistan has been secretly supporting the militants opposed to Afghanistan’s existence and solidarity is sheer duplicity. The entire world knows about the Afghan origin of militancy. Even in the areas inside Pakistan’s tribal belt where militancy germinated, the Afghan dimension has been the most dominating factor. Nevertheless, Pakistan has neither raised voice against Afghanistan nor acted in a manner detrimental to Afghan peace, security and integrity. Instead, Pakistan has throughout been treating the destructive factor of militancy as a common threat i.e a threat both to Pakistan and Afghanistan collectively.
Even the latest statements given quite recently by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif, and top brass of armed forces talk about this common threat, it has been unequivocally stated by Pakistan’s political and armed services’ top leadership that any threat to Afghanistan would be taken as a threat to Pakistan. This is not only a statement but also the policy and conviction of Pakistani leadership. Armed forces under COAS General Raheel Sharif’s command in particular have a yet clearer vision vis-à-vis Afghanistan’s pivotal role in combating terrorism and restoring peace, stability and normalcy in the region.
The agreement between Pakistan’s ISI and Afghanistan’s NDS has been signed in this backdrop of mutual affinity and sincerity for each other. The sources concluded that this agreement should, therefore, be viewed and evaluated in this broader spirit and not merely as an intelligence-sharing counter-terrorism endeavour.