Dr Mazhar Javed
Yet again, Afghanistan is making headlines the world over, with all eyes fixed on the developments there.
This write-up is intended to share with the readers Pakistan’s perspective – as a neighbouring country – on the situation in that country today.
To briefly recount the past, Afghanistan now stands on top of a history of a two decade-long war, that followed a decade of infighting and instability; and this decade of instability in turn followed another decade-long war.
The complexity of the history is obvious; thus, for over over four decades, Pakistan has witnessed a situation of war and instability right next door, in a country with which it shares a long border.
Post-2001, as a front-line state and an ally of the US and West, Pakistan fought terrorist groups including al-Qaeda and TTP – a role that has been acknowledged and appreciated by the world several times. The consequence of this fight against terrorism was a severe and prolonged blowback by the terrorists against Pakistan, at huge loss of life and the economy. Pakistan paid a heavy price!
Pakistan suffered 80 000 casualties. These were 80 000 innocent men, women, children and security personnel, who sacrificed their lives fighting terrorism to make this world a safer place for all. Perhaps the most unforgettable and painful experience was the 2014 attack on a school in Peshawar; 150 children were shot in their heads from a short distance.
Pakistan suffered $150 billion (R2.15 trillion) worth of economic losses. Millions of Pakistanis were internally displaced due to the Pakistan Army operations conducted to clear up terrorist networks. The social and economic cost of such displacements needs no elaboration. To that, one would add hosting 4 million Afghan refugees for over four decades. Their number at its peak was 5.5 million – the largest refugee influx for that long a period in recent history.
The country that suffered most because of the situation in Afghanistan, after Afghanistan itself, was Pakistan. And by corollary, no country in the world would be more desirous of peace in Afghanistan, than Pakistan.
Then there is a strong geo-economic reason for Pakistan’s appetite to see peace and stability in Afghanistan. Pakistan straddles South Asia, West Asia and Central Asia. This makes Pakistan a natural choice as a regional economic hub and centre of connectivity between different regions. The Belt and Road Initiative has opened immense opportunities of connectivity. Obviously, Pakistan needs a peaceful and stable Afghanistan to unlock the full potential of its geo-economic location.
All along, Pakistan has made every possible effort for peace and stability in Afghanistan, at various peace processes and all international fora. Prime Minister Imran Khan had been telling the world there is only a political solution to the war in Afghanistan. That is what Pakistan has been saying all along. Time has proved that was right. A political solution remains indispensable for peace in Afghanistan.
Most recently, an August 16 meeting of the Pakistan National Security Committee chaired by Khan underlined the need for “inclusive political settlement” as the best way forward. The committee urged all parties in Afghanistan to respect the rule of law, protect the fundamental human rights of all Afghans, and ensure that Afghan soil is not used by any terrorist organisation/group against any country.
Post-Soviet invasion history of Afghanistan has important lessons to learn. After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, the world abandoned Afghanistan; and we all saw the results of that. That was a mistake. Repeating the same mistake and expecting different results this time would be a fundamentally flawed assumption. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past, of abandoning the region. For the international community, engaging the Afghans is the way forward.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in 2009 that America will establish long-term sustainable relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan so that the US does not repeat the mistakes of the past. In her words, “The duration of our military presence will be limited, but our civilian commitment must continue even as our troops begin to come home”.
So what needs to be done now? Let us take stock of the situation as it exists in Afghanistan now. The US and Nato forces have left. The Taliban are in control, and have said that they will protect basic human rights. With these words, the Taliban’s initial statements have been positive, compared to those in the past. One needs to wait and see if they uphold what they have said.
If it is not to repeat past mistakes, the international community must engage with Afghanistan and urge all Afghan sides to work for an inclusive political settlement, for lasting peace and stability there; and on issues of concern to the world, including counter-terrorism and protection of human rights, especially women’s rights and education. The international community must remain engaged with Afghanistan for the sake of lasting peace and stability in that country.
* Javed is the High Commissioner of Pakistan
Pretoria News