The Big Picture
Afghan-Pak: Cross border blame game

Afghan-Pak: Cross border blame game

The blame game is not in favour of either state but of those who want to create mistrust between the two countries.

Mureeb Mohmand August 08, 2012

On August 3, about 16 mortar shells were fired from the Afghan side in Mohmand Agency and on August 4, the Afghan lower house of parliament, Wolesi Jirga blamed two key ministers of Hamid Karzai’s government over cross-border attacks from Pakistan in Kunar province. It demanded that Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and Interior Minister Bismillah Ahmadi be replaced as they failed to prevent the Pakistani attacks.

So why are Pakistani forces being blamed in this incident when they only acted in self-defence after being attacked in Chitral, Dir, Bajaur and recently, in Mohmand Agency? And why is Pakistan not proactive in this case, even though Afghanistan itself has adopted a proactive stance instead of an apologetic one?

Pakistan’s border is regularly attacked from the Afghan side and Islamabad has suffered many casualties as a result. Last month, after being attacked in Dir, Pakistani security forces suffered casualties, their soldiers were beheaded and a few days later, their bodies were handed over to the jirga.

In the end, Pakistan is blamed and the message conveyed to the world is that Pakistan is attacking Kabul, just like Pakistan was blamed for fighting a proxy war in Afghanistan. In all these cases, Pakistan is a silent spectator with the elected government and parliament at loggerheads with the Supreme Court. We must admit that, in the past, Pakistan has committed some blunders in the name of strategic depth but after 9/11, the strategy has changed and Pakistan now wants a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.

On the other hand, Afghanistan is blaming Pakistan on the border issue instead of taking action against those who are attacking Pakistan. When Pakistan attacks in self-defence, they term it a border violation. It is now necessary for both states to rethink their stances instead of blaming each other and make arrangements so that such incidents may never occur in the future.

The joint operation promised by an Isaf commander — that if Pakistan starts an operation on its side, Afghanistan will protect the other side to combat terrorism — should be launched. The blame game is not in favour of either state but of those who want to create mistrust between the two countries.

Read more by Mureeb here.

WRITTEN BY:
Mureeb Mohmand An Express Tribune reporter from FATA. He tweets @mureebmohmand (https://twitter.com/mureebmohmand)

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

More by this writer

COMMENTS (3)

stenson | 12 years ago | Reply @Nadeem S: I agree with you that the Pakistani establishment has been too soft on these Afghanis. They all come to Pakistan to live and thrive but they never stop badmouthing the hand that feeds them. We all know that Afghanistan has always been a stooge of the Indians since 1947 and uses its soil as a base to carry out attacks on innocent Pakistanis. Pakistan should demand that all foreigners including Afghanis be deported home and that ISAF shold build a big fence separating the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan before opening up transit routes. If the US can build a wall to keep out illegal Mexicans, why can't Pakistanis make a fence to keep out illegal Afghanis. In the West, they all go as refugees and live on welfare but Pakistan does not have to house these people so let them get asylum in West and be a drain on their resources.

office microsoft 2010 | 12 years ago | Reply Office 2010 Professional install is incredibly simple so you can be using microsoft office 2010 download free in minimal time. So ensure that you try out download Office 2010 as well as the new free download microsoft office 2010 Beta though it may be still available.The windows 7 activation key contains six versions.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Nadeem S | 12 years ago | Reply Pakistani leaders have no backbone, they have absolutely no guts to stand up to the criminals in Afghanistan, I am ashamed to be a Pakistani today because of the weak, apologetic, on your knees, politicians running Islamabad. They think the answer to every problem is to be Mr Niceguy and hopefully it will convert the opponent into a nice guy. Do they not realize they are dealing with Afghans? A most treacherous people, whom we fed for 30 years and kept on our soil for the same, and they have never thanked us, they have always hated us and loved India. Afghans have no shame, or they would realize millions of their people still live and work in Pakistan, they are the attackers and blame Pakistan, but this is our fault, we are too weak to even protect our motherland, we cannot even send the Afghans back until they decide to go. They have taken over Peshawer and Quetta and own most properties through illegal means, yet we are a silent people, dumb and deaf. I pray for the day when one Ghairatman leader will emerge whether Army or politics and strike back with vengeance all these trouble makers, the Afghanis, the Taliban the LET the Al Qaeda, the corrupt officials, one and all. When when when will we see Pakistani leadership that stands up to Afghanistan and tells it to shut up. When will Pakistans foreign Ministry show proof to the world that it is Afghanistan side which is attacking us, when will Pakistani army have the guts to not give a damn for the world and send fighter jets to wipe out any insurgent who dares attack our soil, otherwise throw the F 16s in the ocean, because they are only for flypast and for calendars.

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

Afghan-Pak: Cross border blame game

More by this writer

FOLLOW US