Mubarik Ali Baloch
Afghanistan is in throes. Internal peace and stability appears to be a distant dream. Rather instability is seen entrenching. Cold war era and afterwards till fierce infighting amongst the erstwhile Jehadi factions leading to Taliban emergence, their ascendancy and fall shaping a mosaic of continual warfare making peace hostage. Post-Taliban situation gave birth to Al-Qaeda phenomena now being gradually replaced with Daei’sh. Post-Taliban governments in Afghanistan could not bring laurels in the shape of peace including the one being led by Dr. Ashraf Ghani, the current incumbent.
Mr. Ashraf Ghani has discord with Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, ex-president Hamid Karzai and erstwhile components of now lying low Northern Alliance. His detractors are mainly non-Pashtuns. President Ashraf Ghani, as is said, does not have effective control over the security apparatus of country including NDS (National Directorate of Security). Having said this the recent resignation of NDS Chief Mr. Rahmatllah Nabi, believed to be close to ex-president Hamid Karzai, offers Ashraf Ghani to bring forward someone his confidant as the next Chief of NDS so that the prime intelligence agency of the country is made effective and used to fight for permanent peace in Afghanistan.
Taliban recent attacks in Kabul, Kandhar, Kanduz and elsewhere with noticeable lethality reflect Taliban’s resilient militant muscle and inefficiency of Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan police. The post-NATO withdrawal and drawdown of US forces from Afghanistan have not helped peace in country. How Afghanistan going to coup up with this situation and plug the widening security gap in country is the question seeks answer.
Although President Ashraf Ghani is desperate to see permanent peace in Afghanistan even if it comes through dialogue with Taliban. Contrary to his wish most of the non-Pashtun elements in coalition government are not in favor for talks with Taliban. Rather they want military action against Taliban militants so that their menace is eliminated. Though such wish appears to remain unfullfillable. Taliban recent seizure of Kunduz city, a non-Pushtun stronghold was a message for anti-Taliban NA components that Taliban are a power to be reckoned with even after the demise of their leader Mullah Omar.
Participants in recently held ‘Heart of Asia Conference’ in Islamabad expressed strong desire for permanent peace in Afghanistan and all the stake-holders pledged to encourage stability in war-torn country. President Ashraf Ghani with a warm welcome by PM Nawaz Sharif and Services Chiefs arrived in Pakistan and participated in the conference. His words echoed strong desire for peace in his country and expressed his opinion that probably some stakeholders are not doing enough to help political stability in his country. His hint was probably towards Pakistan.
Mr. Ashraf Ghani must understand that expecting too much from Pakistan to rein in TTA (Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan) is unrealistic due to the fact that Taliban are not under the sway of Islamabad. The latter rather can try to persuade them to behave flexibly and help restore peace. Such persuasive approach from Pakistan side is already underway as seen from two sittings held in Pakistan with Taliban as a part of the peace talks. But stalemate reached when Rahmatullah Nabil, then NDS chief chose to disclose the demise of Mullah Omar.
On the other hand Pakistan has expressed serious reservations over presence of proxies being pampered in Afghan soil by third country like India and are engaged to create internal security situation for Pakistan. Mullah Fazlullah and his ilk including few ring-leaders of Baloch insurgents are comfortably sitting in Afghanistan soil as guests. Mullah Fazlullah, the master-mind of APS Peshawar attack which resulted in massacre of school children, has become evil icon. His presence in Afghanistan soil has made Pakistani nation to believe that Afghan government has approval to the bloodshed of innocent students and their faculty members. Silent majority in Pakistan has been mounting pressure on Pakistani leadership to move cautiously when it comes to help peace in Afghanistan as Kabul has not shown its sincerity in sorting out TTP elements and their boss Fazlullah squatting cozily in Afghanistan and being hosted.
Afghanistan leadership should understand that peace in Afghanistan is essential not only for Afghanistan but also for region as a whole. However, sincere efforts are needed to disown the genie causing serious annoyance to next door neighbor. Renunciation of being host to anti-Pakistan militants should be loud and clear. Only in that case Afghanistan can win the hearts and minds of common-men in Pakistan. Otherwise the 16 December would keep on haunting Pakistani nation commemorating the cold-blood murder of innocent children and perpetrators of attack are sitting well-ensconced in Afghanistan.
