Unfortunate legacy

Twenty-three years ago on September 11, 2001, the entire Pakistani nation was mourning the death anniversary of founding father Quaid-e-Azam and various memorial events were being held in this regard.

Suddenly, the footage of a plane hitting the World Trade Center in New York City, USA, started to be broadcast on TV screens as breaking news. It was reported in the media that two passenger planes were hijacked to hit the symbol of America's economic power.

The tragic incident of 9/11 was considered the second major attack on American soil after the Pearl Harbor attack during World War II. I still remember that tickers like ‘America under Attack’ and ‘Bloody Tuesday’ were showing on TV channels.

Immediately after the 9/11 tragedy, the then US president George W Bush appeared on TV to declare the global 'war on terror'. Holding the extremist elements present on Afghan soil responsible for the attacks, he warned that the US would take strict action against culprits. The international community, including Pakistan, was convinced that there was no option for neutrality on this sensitive matter.

When the entire international community decided to support the US, Afghanistan under the Taliban regretted accepting the demands of the Bush administration. This decision led to a military invasion in Afghanistan, the longest-ever war of 20 years in American history, which ended in 2021 followed by the return of the Taliban regime.

The US attacked Afghanistan in 2001 with the determination to root out terrorism in Afghanistan and the international community fully supported the US in this mission. However, two decades later, the withdrawal of US and allied forces from Afghanistan amid chaos raised many questions.

The most significant question in my view is whether the US-led coalition forces were able to eliminate the Taliban from Afghan soil. If we look at it realistically, the Taliban have taken control of Kabul with more strength and glory than before. At the time of withdrawal, the US left its modern military equipment there; on August 15 this year, the Taliban surprised the world by celebrating the third anniversary of their return to Kabul.

According to media reports, an impressive military parade was organized by the Taliban regime at Bagram, the former US-occupied airbase. Reportedly, several international diplomats, including Chinese and Iranian envoys, were also present on the occasion.

It also reminds me of my column published in The News three years ago on Sep 10, 2021 titled 'Prosperous region'. On the basis of Hindu Vedic astrology, I wrote that: “the tough era [in Afghanistan] is going to end soon,” predicting that: “Afghanistan will not only achieve internal stability but also emerge as a strong economic power.”

Currently, no country in the world formally recognizes the control of the Afghan Taliban as legitimate. In my view, this is a worrisome and alarming sign because if Afghanistan, which is considered the graveyard of empires, is not made a part of the modern international community, the risk factor of another big tragedy will not be ended completely.

Pakistan was once a cordial ally of the Taliban during their previous rule in the 90s. However, after 9/11, Pakistan emerged as the front-line coalition partner of the US in the 'war against terror'. A question is also vital from Pakistan's perspective: what are the effects of the Taliban's return to Kabul on our territorial integrity? In my view, the situation needs our urgent attention as it is causing more complications related to border tensions, internal security, ideological conflicts and diplomatic ties.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council. He tweets/posts @RVankwani