Stable Afghanistan: A shared international responsibility

Pakistan, situated in strategic location of South Asia has always been victim of some international conspiracies on one account or the other. The conspirators at one hand cannot assimilate Pakistan’s achievements for fostering internal stability and on the other pollute the international perception against her by portraying her in bad light through baseless allegations and unfounded accusations. One such area of tarnishing Pakistan is Afghanistan.
Afghanistan, a war-ridden country has mostly been unstable due to internal rifts of warlords or external interventions. The long years of war and political instability have deprived Afghanistan of ability to discriminate between friends and the foes. It all is not the fault of Afghanistan only, the conspirators and insinuators both from within as well as the outside are too strong to be countered by the political sanity prevailing in the country.
Pakistan is cognizant of the fact that a stable Afghanistan means a stable Pakistan. Pakistan has and will continue making concerted efforts in helping Afghanistan restore an atmosphere of stability and peace while anchoring on the mooring of strong diplomacy and national growth.
After a long time, a cosmos of wise and sincere national leadership emerged in Afghanistan with Ashraf Ghani coming to power. He immediately after assuming power reassured his resolve to restore stability in the country. Newly elected government of Afghanistan has a strong resolve to ensure peace and harmony in the region. The new government is committed to foil external powers to exploit Afghan soil to wage proxies in other countries. This development has given a strong blow to the ulterior motives of those, especially India, who are against Pakistan. Consequently, Indian ploy to entice the new Afghan leadership against Pakistan is caving in terribly. Tragic incident of APS, Peshawar, deeply moved the Afghan president, who termed it as an attack on Afghanistan and ardently pledged to eliminate every type of terrorism exported from Afghan soil. The strong commitment of the Afghan president against terrorism proved to be another nail in the coffin of Indian conspiracies against Pakistan.
The uphill task of restoring stability and peace in Afghanistan cannot be entrusted to any single country, especially Pakistan which herself is the adverse victim of terrorism. A safe, peaceful and stable Afghanistan is rather the joint responsibility of international community, especially, the super powers.
The unprecedented wave of terrorism which has consumed over sixty thousands lives, mostly of Armed Forces and LEAs is an unasked for reward of our efforts in fighting against global terrorism.
Pakistan’s contributions in international efforts in combating terrorism cannot be over emphasized. Pakistan had set no limits in protecting as well as supporting Isaf during the entire period without caring for her own losses in terms of lives and property. Despite all efforts, sincerity and resolve to help restore peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan is still blamed by US of not doing enough and being asked to ‘Do more’. This is regrettable as well as ridiculous.
If a long Isaf and Nato led operation in Afghanistan employing massive resources could not restore peace in Afghanistan, how a small country like Pakistan, thickly engrossed in eradicating menace of terrorism from its soil can be expected to safeguard streets of its neighbour.
This blame game engineered by international spoilers to tarnish image of Pakistan is highly condemnable. The international game spoilers in Afghanistan are not hidden from international community. They have their vested interests for which they can run over anyone and unfortunately they find it easy to scapegoat Pakistan. They find it convenient to implicate Pakistan for sabotaging peace process in Afghanistan. Who can forget ex-US Defence Secretary Chuck Hegel who in his talk on Afghanistan had remarked that India had been using Afghanistan as a second front against Pakistan and over the years financed problems for Pakistan. Similarly, General Stanly Mcrystal, former Commander of Isaf, believes that Indian presence in Afghanistan will create security concerns for Pakistan. He states, “Increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate regional tensions and encourage Pakistani countermeasures.” The US should realize that fast approaching withdrawal of Isaf from Afghanistan and improvement of Pak-Afghan relations has caused desperation of India touching new heights.
India views new development as a threat to her colossal investment in Afghanistan and is fraught to safeguard her vested interests against Pakistan. Indian huge diplomatic presence in Afghanistan is already raising alarms of suspicions amongst the international community and policy makers. Foreseeing her diminishing role in post Nato Afghanistan, especially after strengthening of Pak-Afghan bilateral ties, India views her hegemonic designs of emerging as a big brother in the region terribly failing.
Pakistan is presently focusing fully on ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb. This indiscriminate operation is against all type of terrorists without any room for good or bad Taliban. The said operation has successfully achieved most of its objectives. Its achievements in eradicating terrorism are frequently applauded by international community including Afghanistan. The operation is at the last stage of its successful culmination. At this critical stage, our valiant Armed Forces cannot afford any distraction. The operation is a direct support to Afghan efforts in ensuring a peaceful and terror free Afghanistan. Joint Pak-Afghan operations are testimony of this fact. The success of operation Zarb-e-Azb does not suit to those who want Afghanistan and Pakistan to remain in shambles and unstable. India, an arch rival of Pakistan is acting as a spoiler and is continuing to devise strategies to keep Afghanistan and Pakistan destabilised and on warpath.
Indian efforts to widen trust deficit between Pakistan and Afghanistan is also a part of this grand scheme. India, using its own powerful media and strong influence in international media has always tried to gain international sympathy by portraying herself as a victim of terrorism whereas her real ambitions are to get hegemonic status in South Asia. India, by portraying Pakistan as epicenter of terrorism is in fact trying to hide her malicious role in creating instability in Afghanistan. Her ulterior motives in Afghanistan and scheme to create fissures in Afghan-Pakistan friendship need no elucidation.
In order to distract Pak Army from ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb, India has intensified ceasefire violation on LoC/Working Boundary. Unprovoked firing during these violations is costing heavy losses to Pakistan in terms of innocent civilian lives and the property. No one ever questions her knowing well that she is one of the prime game spoilers in Afghanistan. Similarly, the continuous policy shift of super powers to safeguard vested interests in Afghanistan usually surfaces out in the form of new wish list and do more list for Pakistan. Those who were super powers’ friends yesterday have become foes today. Haqanis are no exception to this. Isn’t it a double standard on the part of super powers?
Both Afghanistan as well as the international community instead of asking Pakistan to do more should identify and unearth the actual destablisers of peace in Afghanistan. The grand design to derail peace process in Afghanistan must be thwarted by all stakeholders jointly and indiscriminately. Blaming Pakistan or asking her to ‘do more’ will be a sheer injustice to Pakistan whose sacrifices are countless.
Afghanistan should also distinguish between her friends and the foes, else flames of terrorism will continue burning both Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. Ensuring a peaceful Afghanistan is a joint international responsibility and no one should shy away from this by unnecessary implicating Pakistan. Everyone must be bold enough to admit own failures.