Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s hostile statements during the Warsaw Summit and for engaging NATO once again in Afghanistan are reflective of the poor performance of the Kabul regime and increasing influence of inimical elements that instigate Kabul to declare Pakistan an enemy state
Pakistan has to build a wall or create a fence on the Afghan border, come what may. There is no other option for Islamabad in order to achieve peace on its western border. According to Gen Ehsan-ul-Haq, former CJSC and ISI chief, a country that has its borders secured can have its internal situation controlled. His advice to the Pakistan leadership was that the fencing work at the Pak-Afghan border must be completed as early as possible. Without that the dream of bringing peace in the country would never be materialised.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s hostile statements during the Warsaw Summit and for engaging NATO once again in Afghanistan are reflective of the poor performance of the Kabul regime and increasing influence of inimical elements that instigate Kabul to declare Pakistan an enemy state. Already the United States government is trying hard to pull Pakistan out of ‘friendly countries’ list and ask it to declare “either it is a friend or foe”. The timing of Indian hostilities in Kashmir is not without a reason. It means there is something cooking.
This is also in the wake of the tense situation at the busy Torkham border crossing, and the main gate there was still closed after the border clash, leaving thousands of travelers stranded on both sides. Pakistan border forces were constructing a gate on their own side to effectively deter terrorists and other illegal movements when Afghan security forces resorted to unprovoked cross-border firing. A Pakistan army officer and two Afghan soldiers died, while at least 30 people were wounded on both sides.
Pakistan is hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the past three decades and Pakistanis have never hurt them living here as our own citizens and they are enjoying all perks with full rights. Certain countries are encouraging Afghan armed forces to attack Pakistani troops at Torkham border and firing initiated by Afghan forces at Torkham Check post confirmed that Kabul was not ready to support Pakistan to stop entry of terrorists from Afghanistan. Afghanistan and Pakistan share values and ethnic and linguistic connection. There are external factors which don’t want to see Pakistan and Afghanistan cooperation getting stronger.
Pakistan is blamed for almost everything; even when Afghan security forces and NATO fail to control Taliban attacks. There is trust deficit between the two states. It is unfortunate to say the least that Kabul never has reciprocated what Pakistan has done for the Afghans. Pakistan hosted the first round of talks between the Taliban and Afghan government after several requests from the US and Chinese governments. Pakistan’s role was appreciated widely. Pakistan wants a stable Afghanistan. Pakistan has been engaged in sincere and consistent efforts for promoting peace and reconciliation through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process but in the end is being blamed for not putting in enough effort.
Negative statements about Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan tend to impede the constructive bilateral engagement. There should be a wide range of discussion between Pakistan and Afghanistan at all levels. It is in the interest of all ethnic groups to find common ground for power sharing to make Afghanistan peaceful, which is also in the interest of Pakistan, and the region at large. Pakistan is willing to cooperate and it denies claims of interference in Afghanistan and says it wants to facilitate the peace process. It is easy for Afghan officials to put the blame of their country’s failure on Pakistan. The Torkham crisis fits into the wider picture. With millions of people living in displacement for years, sometimes decades, within or outside Afghanistan’s borders, the situation is obviously not a humanitarian crisis anymore.
Pakistan army’s Operation Zarb-e-Azb has been a huge success in bringing down terrorism throughout the country. The military destroyed 837 terrorist hideouts in North Waziristan, recovered and destroyed 253 tons of explosives, captured 18,087 weapons, conducted 9,000 intelligence-based operations and killed 2,763 militants, at the cost of 347 officers and soldiers. Then there was a National Action Plan according to which the financiers and suppliers of terrorism were to be dealt with, it started after the Peshawar school incident, when people question the success of the operation, little do they know that if there was no decline in terrorism then the country would have been facing major security issues.
At the same time Pakistan faced criticism internally as well when it handed over the contentious Angoor Adda border crossing in South Waziristan to Afghan authorities, which was a move to improve bilateral relations between the two countries. The motion was to bring momentum, stability and peace between the countries. It was a bone of contention ever since it was built. Some people thought they would not accept Pakistan’s decision of handling them and their villages to Afghanistan without their consent. Pakistan has, on a number of occasions, floated proposals to better manage its border with Afghanistan to curb illegal movement into either country. The cross-border movement of militants is one of the major points of contention in the Pak-Afghan relations. Remote Angoor Adda area has experienced a number of border incidents involving an exchange of fire between Afghan and Pakistani forces in the past. The border crossing had to be closed on certain occasions due to the tension between the two sides. On both sides of the border, most people belong to the Ahmedzai Wazir tribe. Recently a petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the handing over of Angoor Adda check post to the Afghan government, which the petitioner maintained was an offence under section 24 of the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952, which states that delivering any garrison, fortress, airfield, place, post or guard is punishable under PAA.
The decision was taken after Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal and army chief General Raheel Sharif agreed during a meeting to resume routine and border traffic at Torkham. As we know the cross-border movement of militants is one of the major sticking points in the Pak-Afghan relations. We should know that whatever decision has been taken is with the consultation of both states, and Illegal crossing is a main contributor to terrorist activities in Pakistan. The step was taken by the Pak army to control exit and entry, and is likely to pave the way for both countries to collectively curb illegal border crossing.
