The events following Mullah Omar’s death announcement represent a setback for Pakistan-Afghanistan relations especially in the context of war against terrorism and stability in the region. The attack on Kabul followed by the Kunduz incident has again sowed the seeds of distrust and animosity. The situation has once again escalated to a point where President Ghani, whose acumen and ability to handle states craft is already overshadowed by internal political dogmatism and divergent policies of state institutions like NDS etc, is blatantly blaming Pakistan for all their ills. The quagmire is further strengthened by the Islamic State who are making significant inroads and steadily gaining strength in Afghanistan. The Indian euphoric designs of regional hegemony which is constantly being fuelled by its berserk media is another wannabe key player in this fiasco. Their role in bringing Taliban on negotiation table at various forums is a testament of their quest for stability in the region. The epitome of all options available for Pakistan is an extrovert approach, thereby continuously engaging whatever fragile political setup is available in the country along with timely and blatantly exposing any accusations or plots involving Pakistan. Pakistan must also involve international community to include China EU etc in order to give credibility to its policies. Inwardly, it is now imperative for the government to involve our vibrant media, intelligentsia at all tiers to present our case more vehemently and professionally to all and sundry.
NOMAN KHAN
Lahore
