PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER
Pakistan is a problem or solution to the problem; the American hi ups are in a continuous state of confusion regarding the role of Pakistan in the Afghan war since day one. Their confusions are giving birth to more perplexity and the bitter consequences of these confusions are affecting none but the innocent and peace-loving people of Pakistan. Things could have been much better if USA had openly declared Pakistan an enemy-state. Though Pakistan has paid a very high price for this enmity hidden under the cover of friendship and fellowship but it could never win US trust and confidence. From president Obama to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and from the outgoing Defence Secretary Robert Gates to the Secretary-General of US patronized NATO, each and every person is polluted with a very strong air of disbelief and suspicions regarding the role of Pakistan in the Afghan war.
Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had a meeting with President Hamid Karzai last month in Kabul. The basic purpose of this meeting was to discuss the transition of security from Nato-led troops to Afghan security forces expected in July 2011. Talking to the media-men after the meeting Anders Fogh Rasmussen said , “On the whole security issues of Pakistan have become a matter of serious concern particularly after the worst attacks on two of Pakistan’s military set ups respectively the GHQ Rawalpindi and the Mehran naval base Karachi.” He further said, “We are following the situation closely. NATO will protect its troops and Afghans from militants based across the border in Pakistan.”
A few days back, addressing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Pakistan must be a part of the Afghan peace process. She said, “Around a common vision of an independent stable Afghanistan and a region free of Al Qaeda the US intends to engage other countries also in the peace process.” The outgoing Defence Secretary Robert Gates was of a different opinion. In the same meeting he said that success was possible in the war in Afghanistan even if Pakistan failed to fully cooperate in countering militants along its border. ‘The cancer is in Pakistan,’ said president Obama talking to the media-men in his office somewhere in late 2009. In his book Obama’s War, renowned analyst Bob Woodward has also referred to the words uttered by president Obama, ‘We need to make clear to people that the cancer is in Pakistan’.
The people of Pakistan must no get depressed by the statements made by various US hi-ups. They must try to realize the fact that these statements are nothing but a part of US official policy based on conspiracies meant to divide the Pakistani nation. The terrorists’ attack on the GHQ , the assassination of Osama Bin Laden and the attacks on Mehran naval base ; all these episodes are in fact part of the US strategy of creating distances and misunderstandings between the Armed forces and the Pakistani nation and the ultimate target are the nuclear arsenals of Pakistan . It is the result of this shrewd US strategy that criticism against intelligence agencies and security institutions of Pakistan in international media is growing moment by moment unceasingly. The Indian media is also doing its best possible in promoting this air of distrust and disbelief with reference to the security forces of Pakistan. The sole aim is to spread depression and dejection among the Pakistani nation and disintegrate and destabilize the Pakistani society.
As far as the role of Pakistan in Afghanistan is concerned, US can never ignore Pakistan in bringing a feasible solution in Afghanistan because of .Pakistan’s geo-strategic position The US is so helpless in Afghanistan that it cannot even withdraw from Afghanistan without the support of Pakistan. The US authorities are also very well aware of this deplorable helplessness but more pathetic reality is that they are playing in the hands of India. Since very after the US intrusion in Afghanistan India has been trying to establish her foothold in Afghanistan to promote her evil designs and treacherous objectives which are severely harmful to the regional as well as to the international peace. According to various media reports, the US authorities have asked Mr. Karzai to seek for a viable solution to the problem of peace and stability in Afghanistan. In the light of this direction Kabul has decided to seek Pakistan’s help in reconciling with the Taliban. This decision could be fruitful at some stage but presently it has fueled serious concerns in New Delhi. The fact of the matter is that India wants to push Pakistan to a dark corner by increasing her influence in Afghanistan. Indian hostility against Pakistan is never ending and exceedingly vindictive in nature. It is her evergreen animosity which has compelled her to spend limitless resources on her consulates in Afghanistan. These consulates are doing nothing but training the insurgents inside Afghanistan to strike at the very foundations of Pakistan. In short, her presence in Afghanistan is proving the worst threat to the regional peace.
Pakistan is neither promoting terrorism in Afghanistan nor sheltering the terrorists inside its boundaries. Pakistan and Afghanistan are two brother countries having a common ethnic, cultural, social and religious background. They have a glorious history certainly leading to a luminous future. Pakistan is always desirous of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. Our American friends must try to come out of their misunderstandings and confusions based on their baseless suspicions that Pakistan is supporting terrorists and terrorism. The benefit of this state of confusion, mistrust and disbelief would go to the actual culprits whose sole aim is to cultivate all possible upheaval and disturbance in Afghanistan. They know very well that disturbance in Afghanistan means disturbance in Pakistan.
The writer is a Pakistan based analyst on defence and strategic affairs.