Ahsan Jameel
There are no doubts about Afghan government’s sincerity and efforts for bringing the desired peace and stability in Afghanistan; however the increased subversive activities of Taliban and other extremists groups have mesmerized the Afghan security apparatus, if the trend continued, there could be serious repercussions for the Afghan government. The attached hopes of Afghan people with the present Unity government for settling the political, security and economic condition of Afghanistan is still a mirage. The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Nicholas Haysom during a session of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan has said that Afghanistan is facing major economic, security and political challenges in 2016, despite progress made in the fields of forming the civil and electoral sector. In his speech Haysom added that the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated with intensified insurgency activities and the Afghan economy remains a matter of concern as the Afghan National Unity Government is struggling to project national unity. He said that “In 2016, it is vital that the National Unity Government demonstrates increasingly its effectiveness, not only to the Afghan people but also donors, on whom it is largely dependent for financial, material and technical assistance”.
The US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has also commented on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan by warning about the emergent threat of the terror group Daesh in Afghanistan. Following a meeting with the acting Afghan Defense Minister Masoom Stanikzai, Carter said that the threat posed by Daesh terror group is being tracked very closely. He added that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group is creating ‘little nests’ in Afghanistan as the group has stepped up efforts to gain foothold and expand its activities in the Afghanistan. The remarks by Carter came shortly after the Commander of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan Gen. John Campbell stated that the loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group are attempting to establish a regional base in Jalalabad, the capital city of eastern Nangarhar province. Gen. John Campbell has also revealed recently that foreign militants from Syria and Iraq had joined the loyalists of the terror group in eastern Nangarhar province and are trying to consolidate links with the leadership of the terror group based in Syria and Iraq. Besides, in a released report by Pentagon regarding the situation of Afghanistan ,has confirmed that the overall security in Afghanistan has deteriorated dramatically during the second half of 2015 as the country continued to face threats from both the Afghan insurgency and extremist networks. There are no exact statistics regarding the number of ISIS loyalists and foreign militants who have joined the terror group in Afghanistan. However, a report released by UN in September this year, stated that the number of sympathizers and followers of the terror are growing across the country with at least 70 militants, apparently foreigners are busy in forming the core of the group’s branch in Afghanistan. The report further added that the group is recruiting followers in at least 25 provinces of Afghanistan with 10 percent of the sympathizers belonging to the Taliban group.
In an interesting development, Russia is screening her interest for helping Taliban for their fight against ISIS in Afghanistan. Initially as ever practiced, Taliban spokesperson has denied the report regarding the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Afghan supreme leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor in Tajikistan’s military base during month of September. Whereas the members of Afghan Parliament strongly raised objection over the Russia’s contacts with Taliban by terming it “interference in Afghan affairs”. While raising concerns over the contacts, parliamentarians have narrated that this is fight between two super powers and Afghans are not able to stand in rivalry. Experts have raised their concerns that Afghanistan might become a battle field for world powers”. Even the prominent Member of Parliament, Sayed Mohammad Hassan, has commented on the ongoing situation, that “Fate of the Afghan people would resemble to that of Iraq and Syria.” Other prominent Afghan Members of parliament have raised concerns after Zamir Kabulov, a Russian diplomat and President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to Afghanistan pointed that they exchange information with Taliban regarding the terrorist group of Islamic State (IS) or Daesh. However, such contacts have been rejected by the Taliban. They have rather presented a different dimension of held talks, which seems little evasive. Taliban painted that they have are having talks, but not about fighting ISIL, we want foreign forces out of our country, that is what we are talking about at the moment,” However its quite meaningful that why at this stage Russia would like to help Taliban, where as they had ample time and resources to screw their rivals in Afghanistan during the prolonged war by US and her allies. Experts opine that the version presented by Taliban regarding their aim behind the meetings with Russian officials is to throw out the foreign forces carries negligible logic, as Russia would never want that the foreign forces may leave Afghanistan for the obvious advantage of curbing and minimizing the effects of Afghan origin terrorism and extremists element having the ability to root into central Asian states and Russia.
The Afghan Taliban maintains a very care free view about the growing activities of Daesh in Afghanistan. They perceive that “They (ISIL fighters) are a small bunch based only in Nangarhar and are not a big or a strong group that they (Taliban) would be threatened with.” There are reports that the number of Afghan students in the educational institutes of Nagarhar province are on increase to contact and join Daesh. International community is very concerned with the emerging face of Daesh in Afghanistan and there are lot of expectations that menace of Daesh could be amicably tackled by Afghanistan and its regional countries with the help of international community .However, there is a dire need that the trend of exploiting the younger and educated generation by Daesh must be checked and reviewed with serious practical approaches and concrete steps by the Afghan government, as it is a matter of global peace and stability. There are apprehensions that developments in Nangarhar, in terms of emergence and gaining strong foot hold by Daesh and simultaneously tackling Taliban by the Afghan government would be cumbersome task .Besides, it could stream the negative trickle down effects on Pakistan’s adjacent Tribal areas, but fortunately Pakistan has already taken the mission called Zarb-e- Azb to eradicate Terrorism with all its manifestation irrespective of creed and breed. Experts are of the opinion that whenever Daesh would creep into Pakistan, they would maintain and exploit the garb of sectarianism and extremist groups in Pakistan. There is a dire need of increased mutual cooperation and collaboration between Afghanistan and Pakistan to counter the menace. Afghanistan must appreciate the sincerity of Pakistan in augmenting and facilitating the Afghan peace process, and the afghan government must adopt her indigenous policies of addressing mutual interests and avoid negative influences. Keeping in view the crucial moments for Afghanistan, there is a logical requirement that Afghanistan must join hands and ask for cooperation and collaboration with the countries willing to resolve the Afghan problems for bringing the desired peace and stability in the region and beyond.