KARACHI:
Pakistan’s western neighbour, Afghanistan, is in the clutches of chaos and may collapse sooner than anticipated. As of now, 400 districts of Afghanistan are under the Taliban’s control. According to a report published by the UN, 1,000 civilians have been killed in the previous month alone. The worsening security conditions will force thousands of people to seek shelter across the border.
Pakistan is already being pressed by the US to accommodate more refugees. But, instability in Afghanistan will be a breeding ground for proxy wars, which can potentially dismantle the stability of Pakistan as well. It will pose a serious threat to CPEC and embolden other militant groups to intensify their onslaught. The evolving security situation in our neighbourhood warrants a national consensus to cope with these impending perils. Unfortunately, the debate on the implications of the crisis on Pakistan is absent from our national discourse. Political parties are engaged in their usual rhetoric of blame game. The parliament remains dysfunctional due to the ongoing hostility between the government and the opposition. While other regional players are scrambling to reposition themselves in this unavoidably perilous scenario, our leaders have not given it the due importance it deserves.
In view of the seriousness of the situation, all political parties should collectively demand a debate in the parliament. Prime Minister Imran Khan should evince some flexibility in his dealings with the opponents to make the debate possible. Deliberations should also be held with security and law enforcement bodies to chalk out a future strategy. A working relationship between the government and opposition is crucial to form a consensus. The National Action Plan should be reinvigorated to tackle security threats within the country. Both the government and the opposition need to cooperate for the sake of Pakistan’s security and stability.
Rahman Rasheed
Buner
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2021.
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