Call to Ghani

Afghanistan seems to have only one response to militant attacks in its own country – to blame Pakistan. On Sunday Gen Bajwa made his third phone call to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani since assuming the office of COAS. The army chief condoled the death of over a 100 people in a series of blasts that had taken place across Afghanistan over the past few days. The worst attack occurred  last Tuesday   when twin blasts near the Afghan parliament killed dozens of people and injured many more. There have also been other strikes by terrorists. Ghani ended up complaining that the attacks are carried out by militants who live in Pakistan, recruit from there and are able to operate freely without any action being taken against them. Bajwa’s measured response was to suggest that it may be more useful for Ghani to concentrate on beefing up border security rather than indulging in a pointless blame game. It has become routine for Afghanistan to blame Pakistan for every attack but the reality is more complicated. It is true that many members of the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network are based in Pakistan although they have been disrupted thanks to Operation Zarb-e-Azb. But their presence here does not necessarily equal state patronage. Both countries face home-grown militant threats and both are concentrating on defeating those threats. That cause isn’t helped by scapegoating each other for our own problems.

Ghani should heed Bajwa’s advice on improving border management, although Afghanistan has been loath to do so in the past. When Pakistan started constructing a border gate at Torkham it actually led to firing by Afghanistan. Afghan hostility is partly explained by its refusal to fully accept the Durand Line as a legitimate permanent border and partly because so many of its citizens work and earn money in Pakistan. Afghanistan wants us to somehow allow free access across the border while ensuring that not a single militant slips through. This pipedream does not acknowledge that a realistic security policy will have to come with trade-offs. Ghani needs to abandon his antagonistic posture and, as Bajwa suggested, work on intelligence-sharing and managing the border. Above all, both countries should realise that they may face different militant threats but that these groups all share an ideology and tactics. There is no tactical advantage to be gained by supporting any militant group or allowing it to operate unimpeded. Afghanistan may be taking its cues from close ally India but it should realise its own security is more important than demonising Pakistan.