It is a known fact
that poverty plays a critical role in tentative progression for countries like
India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is a dire need for successive
developments in several areas of these countries for yielding higher economic
growth. There is no doubt in saying that factors like poverty, illiteracy, inequality,
unemployment, low productivity and malnourishment are nurturing poor living
conditions. So for countries like ours, it is important to have strong friendly
relations with our neighbours propelling economic and regional
integration.
However, Afghanistan
and Pakistan have not been able to strengthen their economic ties to a
significant extent in order for them to work together towards the development
of the region, in general, and for themselves, in particular. Their attempts at
collaboration on developing their industrial and social sectors, improvement in
their political ties have remained lacklustre. Although both the countries are
rich in natural resources but these mineral resources remain untouched as both
continued to fight the unrelenting wave of terrorism, inflicted and funded by
several foreign adversaries.
On the other hand, the
dispute of Kashmir is the real source of continued tension with India. The
Indian forces are doing genocide in Kashmir and India resorts to blame game
against Pakistan to cover its human rights violations in Indian Occupied
Kashmir. India also joined its hands against Pakistan by creating close
coordination between RAW and Afghan NDS.
Besides already
existing rivalry on its Eastern borders, Pakistan was faced with another
dilemma on its Western borders in the shape of invasion of Afghanistan by the
then Soviet Union. USA and its allies entered the region with foreign fighters,
recruited and supported by USA and allies and Pakistan became launching pad for
these fighters against Soviet forces in Afghanistan. This war and its
subsequent fall out, both on Pakistan and Afghanistan, not only affected the
bilateral relations between both the countries but also affected the economic,
political and peace development process. The misgivings between both the
Islamic and neighbouring countries provided opportunities to hostile countries
including India to exploit it to its advantage, obviously to destabilise
Pakistan. The entry of India in Afghanistan, therefore, further sabotaged the
peace process between Pakistan and Afghanistan as India had ulterior motives
both in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The increasing
Pak-Afghan conflict in region has attracted global actors including
neighbouring countries, further resulting into human misery, destruction of
infrastructure and social cohesion, and increased death toll both in Pakistan
and Afghanistan. India, on one hand, in order to divert the attention of the
international community away from its abuse of human rights and genocide in Kashmir,
has entered Afghanistan with ulterior motives of sabotaging the peace process
between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The extensive involvement of India in the
affairs of Afghanistan is, in fact, aimed at sabotaging relations between
Pakistan and Afghanistan, two brotherly Muslim countries.
On the other hand,
Iran has started supporting Taliban by means of arms and ammunition to cause US
allied forces in Afghanistan to bleed, which again bringing instability in
Afghanistan and in return in Pakistan and the region. We should not
forget the role of Iran in Afghanistan where Iran has a strong supporter namely
Gulbadin Hekmatyar and some pro-Iran Taliban. It is unfortunate that
instead of dealing problems on both sides, both countries are defending blame
games and Taliban are benefiting from this conflict.
The inclusion of
Afghanistan back in Saarc in 2005 is said to be the calculated move by India to
undermine Pakistan’s position in the organisation. The increasing ties between
India and Afghanistan and India’s financial support for Afghanistan is a clear
signal that India is bent upon to destabilise Pakistan by using Afghanistan
against it. The role of external powers has further shaken the peace process
between Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. Similarly, USA’s constant
interruptions in internal affairs of the regional states, particularly Pakistan
and Afghanistan have further affected bilateral ties between Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
The presence of
post-Afghan war Taliban in the region has posed threats not only to the
internal security and stability of Afghanistan but has divided the Pakistani
society on religious/sectarian lines besides posing threats to its sovereignty.
Taliban are being financed by the drug lords without any hindrance by the
Afghan government as 40% production of drugs is originating from Afghanistan
and being supplied worldwide and Pakistan is one of the sufferers in terms of
increase in addiction to nearly 2 million people of all ages. The dangerous
correlation between drugs proceeds and terrorist financing is badly affecting
Pakistan and equally Afghanistan.
The signatory
countries of Saarc had agreed, inter alia, to cooperate in curbing terrorism
and drug trafficking but unfortunately Saarc remained limited to meetings and
resolutions only and no concrete steps were taken. Ever since its creation, it
has failed to come true to the expectations of the people unlike any other
similar organisation in the world to create a platform pertaining to the
development of the region or to work for the prime issue of peace within the
Saarc countries.
The peace in the
regions especially relations amongst Pakistan, Afghanistan and India is in fact
linked with the resolution of disputes amongst these three countries. These
relations have been linked to the resolution of unresolved borders and issues
including terrorism by Afghan Taliban and their associates, refugee crisis,
smuggling, Narco trade. These issues have, in turn, created interest of
different mafias on both sides.
Combination of these
issues gained a bigger momentum and it converted into a monster of terrorism,
bigger conflicts and geo-political interests in this region. The above
explained position created complex issues but ultimately we got to have a way
forward especially when USA has failed with its mighty force and billions of
dollars to bring peace in Afghanistan. UNO is not pushed about it and failed to
come up for a solution. The OIC has become a paper organisation and has lost
its impact and has not played its role to keep the Muslim Ummah united and
hence no positive role is expected from OIC to work for peace between Pakistan
and Afghanistan.
Similarly Saarc under
the influence of India is not going to create harmony and peace between
Pakistan and Afghanistan. The watchdogs of the world and peace keeping
international organisations are miserably failing to finish the inimical
deadlock between Pakistan and Afghanistan. What option is there to bring both
the Muslim countries on one table?
In view of my personal
experience, access to intelligence and according to the available information,
the ongoing tension and intra-frictions within the counties has created complex
situation, which continues to deteriorate the relations between both the
countries.
In the given worsening
situation, I see a ray of hope coming from holy land of Harmain Sharifain. I
feel that Saudi Arabia is in unique position to resolve this deadlock as elder
brother for Muslim countries and it must play its meaningful mediatory role and
create a friendly and long term relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan
with Allah commands making peace between Muslims that fight each other. He
commands in Holy Quran: “And if two parties among the believers fall to
fighting, then make peace between them both.”
The article has been published in ‘The News International’ on 03
October, 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment