An uneasy calm is prevailing in Afghanistan and the neighbours are struggling to find a solution before another tragedy hits them hard. The world is still waiting and judging how the Taliban leadership will respond to their expectations. Pakistan is on the forefront to find a way out for the Afghans, more on a humanitarian basis and less on the political end.
A logical question may be about why Pakistan is taking that much interest and why the political leadership is so active on the issue of some other country? There are several reasons. We are neighbours; anything affecting Afghanistan would have a fallout on Pakistan. Pakistan is already bearing over 4 million Afghan refugees, since 1978. Any violent situation in Afghanistan would result in more people migrating to Pakistan. As per statistics, more Pathans are living in Pakistan than Afghanistan and are directly affected. Our economy is already struggling and any additional burden would adversely affect us. Our experience with the west over the issue of Afghanistan has not been praiseworthy. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1988, the west had left Pakistan on its own, and complicated the issues further by imposing sanctions on Pakistan. Turn the pages of history and Pakistan joined the west against the Taliban in 2001 after the 9/11 incident. It provided bases and all the required administrative/logistic support, resulting in terrorism inside Pakistan. Pakistan lost more than 80,000 people and was left economically devastated. The worst was that we are still blamed instead of words of acknowledgment or appreciation.
Contrary to that, India which was in the Russian bloc during the Cold War era got preference over Pakistan. It’s a known fact that India used Afghan soil to launch terrorist activities and remained unchecked. China is another major stakeholder in the region. China shares an 80-kilometre border with the western region of Xinjiang at the end of the narrow Wakhan corridor and has a substantial investment in the wider region. China has long been voicing concerns for peace and political stability in Afghanistan.
The Central Asian countries are also in action to convince rich countries to support Afghans and the West to ease off on the sanctions. The SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) at Dushanbe was a good venue where Pakistan has reiterated for collective efforts to ensure a stable Afghanistan. A delay in the provision of basic facilities may result in a human catastrophe.
Undoubtedly, Pakistan’s Afghan policy is of non-interference. It desires for the interim government to stand on its own feet and rebuild. It’s a universal principle that no interference be made from outside in any country and people have the right to choose their representatives.
Now the other side of the situation needs serious attention as well. Whereas the world is getting convinced on aid and support to the Afghan interim government, their previous record (1996-2001) makes one feel discouraged. It is true that every country has the right to draft and implement rules suitable to their people, yet it’s also an established fact that living in a global world, the acts of a country affect others, especially the neighbourhood.
Pakistan has been hit the worst during the last 40 years of turbulence/violence in neighbouring Afghanistan. Pakistan has announced that it was mulling amnesty for TTP members if they meet conditions such as renouncing violence, accept the writ of the government and commit to the constitution. But it hasn’t been received well by the TTP, though many Pakistanis raised their eyebrow on this offer, as the TTP has been responsible for heinous acts like the APS attack and attacks on army persons as well as innocent civilians. The TTP has a lineage with the Afghan Taliban and is maybe expecting support to reignite terror in Pakistan. Who can guarantee that the TTP is not revived and those camped on Afghan soil would be handed over to Pakistan for legal actions or made to stop their activities?
Back home, we already have some elements who are sympathetic to the TTP or have even allegiance with them. Presently they are under control but any foreign support, in any form might ignite them. Pakistan has been able to restore law and order after extreme sacrifices and cannot afford to get back to any ugly situation.
It’s prudent that the world is cautious in its approach to recognise the present government in Afghanistan. The Taliban have to prove what they have stated in their policy announcements. The world bodies have to get guarantees from them. Maybe Pakistan’s PM is right in saying, the “world must incentivise Afghan people”. But humanitarian assistance is immediately required.