Mohammad Jamil
mjamil1938@hotmail.com
Post 9/11 attacks, USA introduced strict immigration laws and improved border management to ensure homeland security in the wake of terrorist threats. A largely free international society, European Union also followed suit and its member states took measures to check the free movement of people to counter terrorist threats. Many such measures were in fact a source of embarrassment for the international travelers from Muslim countries, and despite unprecedented criticism against these rules, the laws were enacted. Strangely, Pakistan’s efforts to manage border with Afghanistan on the same lines are not receiving required support from the international community. USA and major European countries should ask Afghan Government to fully cooperate with Pakistan in this regard. Instead of helping in repatriation of Afghan Refugees, they give sermons to give better treatment to ARs.
In June 2016, Afghan border security force opened unprovoked firing at Torkham border where Pakistan LEA’s were building a check-post for better border management. This attack from Afghanistan was continuation of hostile posture of security institutions of Afghan Government to thwart Pakistan’s efforts to check the movement of militants across Pak-Afghan border. Afghan leaders continue to propagate against Pakistan with regard to alleged presence of Afghan Taliban on its territory, but they are not ready to cooperate for better border security mechanism to tackle the militants more effectively. Moreover, the recent killing of top TTP commander Umar Naray in a drone strike in Afghanistan indicates that without improvement in border security the terrorists will remain a source of concern for the both sides. Hence, international community must pressurize Afghan Government to cooperate with Pakistan on critical border management and security issues.
Pakistan’s stance is that it has the right to construct check posts on its side of the border and also take measures to manage its borders to stop illegal movements of the people across the Durand Line. Even on its Iran border, Pakistan has a plan to construct a border post in Taftan, as this border crossing is also known for the illegal movement of people and goods. So is Chaman in Balochistan and numerous other border crossings along the Durand Line that need to be better managed. Pakistan wants to restrict the movements of people across the border, as Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees in millions, and there are some undesirable elements that create problems for Pakistan and Afghanistan. The harsh reality is that no other state in Afghanistan’s neighbourhood has hosted as many refugees as Pakistan has done until now.
Pakistan has also been accusing Kabul of not doing enough to prevent the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from using Afghan territory as a safe haven. Its spokespersons have repeatedly emphasised that militants use the unregulated Torkham crossing to enter into and escape from Pakistan. It has to be mentioned that every country has a right to build a check post on its own soil, and even erect a fence along its border. The problem is that since inception of Pakistan, none of the Afghanistan rulers accepted Durand Line as borders, though the United Nations means international community has accepted and recognized it. Torkham (along with Chaman across Balochistan) is no regular border crossing. Historically and culturally, Pashtuns living on both sides have been crossing the Durand Line.
Many Pashtuns living along the western side of the Durand Line move across (into the Federally Administered Tribal Areas) for social and economic reasons every day, but that movement gives Afghanistan reason for accusing Pakistan of supporting the Taliban in Afghnistan. Afghanistan is apprehensive that making the border point in Torkham completely legal and document-based will affect the larger movement of Pashtuns across the Durand Line difficult and selective. The question if Afghan government is so concerned about Pashtuns, why it does not take back Afghan refugees. They were supposed to stay in Pakistan till 30th June 2016, and their stay has been extended by the end of this year on the request of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In June 2015, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had requested Pakistan to review its December 31, 2015 deadline.
Now it is time that Afghan refugees should be repatriated to Afghanistan, as they have been staying in Pakistan for three and a half decades. However, their stay was extended up to 30th June 2016; and once again on the request of Afghan government and UNHCR ARs stay has been extended up to 31st December 2016. The militants in the guise of refugees are moving across the borders and are involved in terror acts. And Pakistan is blamed for every terror act in Afghanistan. For long-term stability in the region, these refugees must be rehabilitated permanently in Afghan society as many terrorists come from them. The aggressive Afghan Government is interested in blaming Pakistan but the issue of bringing back the refugees is not on its top agenda, while international community is also not allocating adequate resources to achieve this goal. A serious effort in this regard can significantly decrease the terrorist acts in Pakistan and Afghanistan with positive implications for international peace.
