Continuing Afghan imbroglio
The National Security Committee (NSC) met on the eve of a
Pakistani delegation’s visit to Kabul. The NSC, comprising the top civilian and
military leadership, and whose meeting was presided over by Prime Minister
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, blamed propaganda by hostile countries for Kabul’s
accusations regarding Pakistan’s hosting safe havens for the Afghan Taliban and
the Haqqani Network. Regardless of such accusations, the NSC vowed to continue
positive engagement with Afghanistan. The normal bitterness in Kabul’s tone has
increased of late after the series of deadly recent attacks that killed 140
people. In the wake of those attacks, a high-security delegation comprising the
Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and National Directorate of Security
chief Masoom Stanekzai visited Islamabad. Though both sides described that
meeting as “helpful”, this did not extend to lessening the Afghan leaders’
acrimony. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has stated that the headquarters of the
Afghan Taliban is in Pakistan. He has demanded decisive action in this regard instead
of mere verbal commitments. He also said that a list of individuals and
networks involved in the recent attacks has been handed over to Pakistan. Our
Foreign Office says the list is being examined and they will revert on this
soon. Meanwhile the Foreign Office spokesman, Dr Faisal, once again trotted out
the same narrative about Pakistan conducting actions against all terrorists
without exception and repeated the claim that 27 Taliban and Haqqani Network
suspects were handed over to Kabul in November 2017. This claim ‘surprised’ the
Afghan ambassador in Islamabad and has been denied or at least downgraded to ‘common
criminals’ by Kabul. Dr Faisal also pointed to the vast territory controlled by
various terrorist groups in Afghanistan as proof that Pakistan was not to blame
for its neighbour’s troubles. While the outcome of the visit to Kabul by the
Pakistani delegation led by Foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua is awaited, it is
perhaps useful to recount that COAS General Bajwa’s visit to Kabul on October
1, 2017 is what started an agreed process of discussions for cooperation of
which this delegation’s foray is part.
It is amazing that our Foreign Office continues to repeat
the same old narrative revolving around Pakistan not having any safe havens for
the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network when the US and Afghanistan have openly
refuted this and most if not all the rest of the world apparently does not
believe it. The constant repetition achieves little except eroding further
Pakistan’s word and credibility. There has even been a suggestion of late that
if there are any Afghan terrorists here, they have melded into the Afghan refugees
on our soil and therefore the sooner these refugees return the better. Now
innocent refugees are going to suffer for things they are not responsible for. Although
anger is growing in Kabul, Washington has an interesting dual attitude. US
Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie has denied any US
plans to conduct military operations within Pakistan. However, this probably
means no American boots on Pakistani ground but does not rule out drone
attacks, given that the US military has been authorized to eliminate safe
havens in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the same time, US civilian and
military officials keep reiterating their hopes for Pakistani cooperation
against the Afghan insurgents. These messages have been “taken very seriously”
by Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan, especially the ‘elimination of safe
havens’ bit. While Islamabad, Kabul and Washington continue to arm wrestle each
other, the regional dimensions of the Afghan conflict are asserting themselves.
China is reportedly seeking a military base in Afghanistan’s remote Wakhan
Corridor to prevent Uighur militants of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement
(ETIM) slipping into Xinjiang. The ETIM was formerly based in our FATA but has
reportedly shifted to Afghanistan after the military operations by the Pakistan
army to cleanse FATA of terrorist groups. China of course has more than just
security on its mind. Its ambitious One Belt One Road initiative, of which CPEC
is a part, requires peace and stability in the region, starting with
Afghanistan, which Beijing says could join CPEC when conditions allow. Our
friend China has been supportive of a peace process in Afghanistan for long.
Pakistan must recalibrate its Afghan policy by abandoning notions of the Taliban
and Haqqani Network providing protection to Pakistan’s interests. They have not
always in the past and are unlikely to in future. It would be far better to
resolve to not allow safe havens on our soil and use our influence on the Taliban
to persuade them to join talks with Kabul and Washington to bring this longest
running war since WWII to a peaceful end, which is in the interests of all
stakeholders.
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