Border politics

Welcome to the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham which has been sealed for three weeks. It became almost surreal when the gates were closed for a second time after allowing stranded Pakistani and Afghan nationals to cross on foot. Hundreds of vehicles, loaded with goods on both sides, are still immobile as the closure endures.

Borders posts are universally acknowledged for facilitating as well as controlling the entry of goods and people. It is rare that a country unilaterally closes the frontier as a punitive measure – as appears to be the case with Pakistan’s decision to suspend any movement across the border with Afghanistan.

The publicly stated reason for taking this drastic step to seal the border was to let the Kabul government know that Pakistan has had enough of its collusion with India to sponsor terror networks based in Afghanistan and launch attacks in Pakistan. However, the idea of indefinitely shutting down normal movement through recognised check posts is worrisome.

Pakistan has used what may be its most potent lever to make the Afghan government and spy agencies see reason and start handing over the terror masterminds and commanders to Pakistan – or, at least, severely curb their activities. There is a problem in this respect. Kabul also wants Islamabad to apprehend the Taliban, which it accuses of masterminding attacks in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the spiral of violence saw another high with the horrendous attack this week on a military hospital of Kabul – where killers in white gowns sprayed bullets on patients and staff, resulting in heavy casualties. This is a heinous attempt by the terrorists to whittle down the morale of Afghanistan’s security forces.

The upsurge of terror attacks in an already fractured country should be a serious cause of concern for Pakistan’s civil and military leadership. Afghanistan is becoming a sanctuary for terrorist networks which are targeting Pakistan and posing a security risk. The further weakening of what is left of the Afghan state can only bring more grief to Pakistan as the terrorists aim to turn instability into anarchy on the Afghan side.

The recent spate of terror attacks in Pakistan came as a distressing reminder of the residual capacity of the networks decimated in major military operations in the tribal areas as well as other parts of the country. Daily operations near the border demonstrate that anti-Pakistan groups are well-entrenched and have enough sources of money, weapons and manpower to threaten our peace and security.

These groups are the beneficiaries of support from Kabul and Delhi, causing nightmares to our security establishment.

Viewed in this background, Pakistan’s decision to shut the Pak-Afghan border is understandable but hard to sustain. The military and civilian spokespersons have not come forth with a narrative that would win support for the border’s prolonged closure. The effect is that no voices will be heard across the country in favour of this drastic measure. Every statement, editorial and comment one comes across is critical of the indefinite closure.

The effects of the closure will unravel over time. This step will alienate ordinary Afghans against Pakistan. Their ruling elite is already anti-Pakistan and will find another reason to express their animus. Afghanistan may seek help from influential countries as well as international forums to bring pressure on Islamabad to reopen the border.

The Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the government to open border crossings for vehicles waiting on both sides since the sudden closure. It makes sense that the facility that was given the stranded individuals is also extended to vehicular traffic.

My fear is that Pakistan will not be able to defend its position under international law. Those who took the decision of closing the entry points must explain the rationale behind this extraordinary step. The business community can hardly fathom the wisdom of stopping trade that would cause huge losses to Pakistan’s exports and encourage smuggling, depriving the state of its much-needed sources of revenue.

Uncertainty about the duration of the border’s closure will soon lead to consequences that will cause problems for Pakistan in relation with Kabul and with the international community. Kabul can justifiably claim that being a landlocked country, Pakistan cannot indefinitely close the entry or exit of people and goods between the two countries.

All those who have urged the authorities to reopen the border with Afghanistan have argued that closing the established entry points will hurt legitimate travellers rather than terrorists who can use the mountain passes to infiltrate the border. The only rationale that comes to mind is that choking the border is a tool of coercive diplomacy to convince Kabul about taking action against the groups using Afghan soil to attack Pakistan.

The regular corps commanders’ meeting on Thursday reviewed the border issue but refrained from giving clues about its reopening. Their communiqué simply stated that the corps commanders vowed to carry out barbed wire fencing of the Pak-Afghan border.

In the whirlwind of the information age, it is unfortunate that Pakistan’s narrative will go unheard. The government has to go beyond the laconic comments on the issue of border closure and give a clearer signal of its resolve to work with the international community, particularly with our inseparable neighbours, on the basis of reciprocity. Above all, it should indicate a timeline to reopen the Pak-Afghan border.

Email: saeed.saeedk@gmail.com