Goodwill and soft borders are the way out
Back to back terrorist attacks of a most horrendous kind in Pakistan and Afghanistan should make the two countries realise the need to act together to deal with the menace. The biggest military power in the world fought the longest war in its history in Afghanistan but failed to end insurgency and eradicate the virus of terrorism. Pakistan army led by a most determined general managed to clear North Waziristan and Fata agencies from the terrorists but audacious attacks by terrorists still continue to rock the country. Bad relations between the two neighbouring countries have helped the terrorists set up sanctuaries on both sides. There is no hope of the elimination of terrorism unless the two countries decide to conduct coordinated operations.
The attack in Sehwan killing about 100 and the one in a military hospital in Kabul taking toll of about 40 should end the mutual blame game. That 55,000 Afghans and Pakistanis crossed the border in the two-day long respite indicates both the gravity of the crisis and the level of dependence between the two countries. That President Ashraf Ghani has congratulated the PSL final’s wining team and invited it to Kabul indicates that despite the prevailing bitterness not all the goodwill is lost.
Pakistan needs to reciprocate by opening the closed borders to allow the trade between the two countries. Being the larger country it needs to go an extra mile to remove Afghan grievances in a bid to restart mutual dialogue to bring peace in the region. For this Afghanistan has to be treated as an equal sovereign country. There is a need to realise that unless the two develop mutual confidence and work jointly to ensure peace militaries alone cannot suppress the highly motivated and resourceful lot of terrorists who are creating havoc on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border. In a world wary of border restrictions, both countries can resolve issues like that of Durand Line through soft borders that allow free movement once the issue of terrorism is dealt with.