If one looks at the calendar of the past ten years or so, one finds that the rulers of Afghanistan and Pakistan have been visiting each other quite frequently but nothing concrete has emerged out of these meetings galore. Frequent contact of the heads of state for the sake of peace is not a bad thing but such meetings are fruitful only if (a) meaningful decisions are taken and (b) follow up action on these decisions is promptly taken.
To cite an example, Mullah Fazlullah, the man who masterminded attack on our army in Swat, has been provided refuge by Kabul for the last couple of years which is really unfortunate. What good are the American marines equipped with latest gadgetry stationed in Afghanistan and over one lakh jawans of Afghan national army, if they cannot hand him over to us by getting hold of him?It is not happening because neither the Afghan authorities nor their American mentors want it to happen.
There is no gainsaying the fact that hundreds of other fugitives from law involved in heinous criminal offences and wanted by us have been living in safe havens on Afghanistan’s soil. Whenever Islamabad insists on their arrest, the Afghan rulers come out with the lame excuse that since their customs and riwaj do not permit them to hand over any fugitive once given asylum by them, they are not in a position to oblige Pakistan on this score. Civilised countries all over the world have been trying to update their laws in order to ensure fair play and justice to all by quashing all those laws which are a blot on the face of humanity; on the contrary we don’t want to come out of the dark ages and still take refuge behind the most inhuman laws.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad can improve only if both these countries sign an extradition treaty in which it is clearly spelled out that neither Kabul nor Islamabad would provide asylum to any person belonging to them who is wanted by the police or the courts. Secondly, the traffic between both these neighbourly countries should be regulated by a strict passport and visa regimen. It should be made clear on Washington that if it is sincere in its claim that it wants peace on both sides of the Durand Line it would have to bankroll the construction of army check posts and fence on it between Bajuar and South Waziristan and help assist Pakistan financially for the purpose in a big way on the pattern of Marshal plan executed by it for the rehabilitation of war-torn Europe after the Second World War.
- Latest
- Trending
