It is not just our eastern borders where relations are strained; the going hasn’t been great on the western borders either. Now that the decade-old war is about to see its gradual end, reliable relations are of utmost importance for the future of the region. Indeed, a slow but gradual progress has been witnessed over the years in this regard though much more remains to be done.
A single wrong step can undo years of efforts put into building a strong and dependable relationship. And that’s exactly what has been happening across the border for the past few days. The Pakistani military, while targeting the terrorists who attack security check posts at every odd hour, fired some shells that the Afghan security forces claim hit their settled civilian areas. Protests have been lodged with the Pakistan government and army. Many are eager to claim it as a spanner in the works of constructive efforts to build up a momentum for a long lasting peace in the region.
Realistically speaking, there are problems on both sides. While Pakistan has deployed more than 150,000 troops along the border – which ironically still seems to be too short a number considering the cross-border infiltrations – ISAF has relocated or removed troops on their side of the border, thus handing the terrorists an invitation to the party. The barren, rugged terrain cannot be manned at all places; there is just too much of it. Even if some advanced check posts are built, they would be prone to attacks just as well. Moreover, with the operation in NWA, many of the terrorists have settled in lawless areas on the Afghan side of the border. Afghan National Army (ANA) is not yet ready to handle the task efficiently and they lack equipment and funding.
The political ramifications of this exacerbation can be damaging for the whole Afghan endgame. Restraint on both sides is what should be the call of the day. The ANA and Pakistan army both need to focus more on curbing these border intrusions than lodging protests with each other, if they want to move ahead and bring stability to the region.
