According to media news, Pakistan has agreed to release several top Taliban prisoners, including former Taliban Shura member Mullah Brother who was arrested two years ago. Pakistan’s decision comes after the recent visit of high ranking Afghan delegation to Pakistan. The UN would also release names of several top Taliban high ranking officials from UN sanction list. Now it seems true that reconciliation efforts are going on before the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan next year. The efforts started two years ago and several secret meetings were held in various countries also.
Decade of Afghan war proves that dialogue is the last solution of every war. The French forces have already ended their ten years long journey in Afghanistan and the Britain also plans to reduce its forces before NATO completes withdrawal. The French lost 88 comrades during combat mission in Afghanistan and the Britain lost 433. Although security of sensitive areas like Helmond, Lushker Gah and Kapisa has been handed over to Afghan forces, things are going bad to worse everywhere. The recent assessment shows grim pictures of Afghan war and observers claim that after withdrawal of NATO forces, inexperienced and lacking proper weapons, Afghan forces may not be able to control the situation.
Tensions are also running high between Afghan and Allied Forces due to differences in social and cultural values. Almost 465 Allied Forces personnel lost their lives at the hands of their own trained Afghan recruits during the so-called green on blue attacks alone this year. Total human, economic, social, and political cost of wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan has already reached to estimated four trillion dollars and human cost is considered to be around half a million lives. At the time when Europe and US are passing through an economic crises with an increasing rate of unemployment, questions are being raised about high war expenditures.
KHAWAJA UMER FAROOQ
Karachi
