After helplessly watching the mayhem and destruction Kabul has been facing for last two days, I wonder whether its neighbours are really serious about their tall claims of bringing peace and prosperity in this war-ridden unfortunate country. On one side Afghan government banned mourning ceremonies for Taliban leader, Mullah Omar who died two years back, while Pakistan’s right-wing religious-cum-sectarian parties openly arranged funeral prayers-in-absentia for Mullah in different cities. We saw no attempt from the Pakistani government to stop such gatherings which were obviously beaming a different message to the outside world. Perhaps Afghan Taliban Mullahs are still considered as one of the ‘Good Taliban’.
But I was amazed to see an announcement from Akora Khatak’s infamous Darul-uloom-Haqqania that its head, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, has sworn his allegiance to the newly appointed chief of Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. I wonder what’s going on here — how come a Pakistani be allowed to extend his loyalty to a foreign war lord? Earlier Lal Masjid clerics also did the same when they announced their loyalty for ISIS leader, Abu Bakr Baghadadi. By closing our eyes to these developments, do we think the storm will go away? No, it won’t as it’s against the nature; it’s going to haunt us the same way as ghosts of American-Soviets war in Afghanistan are still after us.
It’s time to come clean and do a real clamp down on all such characters who openly defy Pakistan’s sovereignty and shamelessly disgrace the nation by standing next to terrorists of international cadre who have taken their countries to dark ages.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia