Pak-Afghan relationship is at present facing the ever-worst situation and this all is the handiwork of the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Everyone knows that Ashraf Ghani’s success in the presidential elections was warmly welcomed rather celebrated in Pakistan. The people in Pakistan were of the opinion that Ashraf Ghani would try his utmost to bring these brotherly countries more close to each other but Mr. Ghani did altogether otherwise. He is so unfortunate that he could not bring peace even to his own country. International analysts are pointing towards a rapidly increasing violence in Afghanistan and to the fast growing Taliban influence as well. At so many places the Talban are directly running the government affairs instead of the Afghan government. There is a very visible political conflict and turmoil in spite of Afghan NUG’s claim of peace in the country. In the beginning days of Ashraf Ghani government a very clear situation of conflict and confrontation was being noticed between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah but now the first Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has also joined this war as the third party. The Parliament is hosting different ethnic rivalries and as a result of this rivalry seven ministers have yet been impeached. The foreign minister Mr. Salahuddin Rabbani was also among the impeached ones. There is a situation of political anarchy and chaos in Afghanistan and the leaders are washing their ‘dirty linen’ in the public by accusing one another of nepotism and ethnicity. Analysts are of the opinion that after Trump’s victory in the US elections Afghan political leaders are under pressure and stress because of the expected change in US policy towards Afghanistan. The Washington Post said commenting upon the fears and apprehensions of the Afghan leaders, ‘The tensions have resurfaced just as the United States, a mainstay of Afghan defense and economic aid for years, has elected a new president with different priorities and no investment in Afghanistan’s success. Many Afghans fear President-elect Donald Trump may withdraw the 10,000 U.S. troops that President Obama kept here to help Afghan security forces take over the anti-insurgent fight.’
The most shameful issue which Afghanistan is facing now-a-days is that of the First Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum. He is under severe criticism for abducting and sexually harassing former Jowzjan governor Ahmad Eshchi. According to details this incident allegedly took place somewhere in the second week of the last December. Ahmad Eshchi accused that the vice-president General Abdul Rashid Dostum and ten other men assaulted him while he was forcibly kept at the former warlord’s residence for five days. Though Gen Dostum has denied the accusation, describing it as a ‘provocation’ but this allegation has given birth to a very serious controversy in the Afghan political circles. Pamela Constable, the reporter of the Washington Post said in a report commenting on the political war-like situation in Afghanistan, “The revolt in the parliament is only one symptom of the disarray. In recent weeks, several aides to President Ashraf Ghani have publicly criticized his administration, while opposition leaders are plotting to divide it from the outside. Long-promised elections are still far off, and public confidence is weakening.” But instead of paying attention to this serious situation of conflict and confrontation in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani is spending all his time and all his vigour in promoting terrorism and patronizing terrorists in Pakistan. Let us see how he responds to Pakistan’s surgical strikes in the areas across the Afghan border; usually terrorists refer to these areas as ‘Safe Haven’ for them.
Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Bajwa during a telephonic conversation with US General John Nicholson on17th February said, “Most of the incidents in Pakistan are claimed by terrorist organizations with leadership hiding in Afghanistan.” He further said, “Such terrorist activities and inaction against them are testing our current policy of cross-border restraint.” Use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities in Pakistan is nothing new; it is simply an old story. If Pakistan had responded to this involvement in the way it is now responding, things could have been far better. Bullets must never be replied with roses particularly when bullets are coming from a thankless country like Afghanistan.
