A tragedy that should not have happened

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan do not seem to be normalising soon. When policies are formulated without regard to ground realities, hiccups and disappointments are inevitable. The gory incident in Jalalabad stadium in Afghanistan on October 20 was unprecedented and has left a terrible memory.

The Pakistani Consulate in Jalalabad opened for Afghan visa seekers after a long closure because of the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 3,000 men, women and children assembled to obtain ‘tokens’ for the submission of their visa documents. As people began to jostle to reach the window to get the tokens, a stampede broke out, leaving 15 people, including 12 women, dead and dozens seriously injured. The scene looked like a battlefield with dozens bleeding from wounds. The crowd was traumatised. There was a pall of gloom, anger, helplessness and sheer disgust.

Another bloody chapter has been written in the fraught relations between the two neighbours.

Perhaps Afghanistan is the only country where Pakistani visas are coveted. Not long ago people of the same tribe living on both sides of the border used to commute freely without needing any travel documents. They travelled to meet relatives, attend marriages, funerals and engage in trade. There were no problems. Some Afghans and Pakistanis travelled using the Torkham and Chaman crossing points. Even there, thousands used to cross each day freely without any passports, etc. There are more than 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan who have been visiting their country from time to time. They used to cross the border showing their refugee documents.

Suddenly, it was discovered that the free passage is risky because there could be a possibility of terrorists moving as ordinary travellers. Security considerations forced a re-appraisal of policy.

There could have been other ways to deal with terrorists crossing from Afghanistan. Strict border controls, enhanced intelligence and surveillance and above all, helping to end the insurgency. Before the US invasion and the resistance that followed, no problems were encountered due to open borders. It was only when Pakistan decided to align itself with the US war and provide bases to US air force that complications arose. The induction of military into tribal areas was the most fatal error of judgment. That destroyed systems, alienated tribes and sowed seeds of perpetual discord. Tribal areas would never be the same again. The dismantling of administrative systems paved the way for all non-state elements to strive to create space for themselves and launch attacks on forces and installations.

Rather than realising what went wrong and finding a remedy, the government chose to deal with the symptoms. The whole border stretching over 2,250 kilometres was fenced at an astounding cost of $1 billion. Millions would be required annually to guard the fencing. It was also decided to ban free travel and introduce a strict system of valid travel documents for all.

What was not realised is that for thousands of people who need to cross over from both sides every day, the staff and facilities at the diplomatic missions should have augmented. The plight of the large number of people and the inadequate administrative infrastructure were ignored. The embassy and the consulates were hard put to cater to thousands of people every day seeking visas. The Jalalabad tragedy could have been avoided if the government had taken into account the vastly increased case load of applicants seeking to visit Pakistan.

Incidents like the stampede in Jalalabad generate acrimony, hatred, hostility. People-to-people relations suffer as anger mounts all over Afghanistan. Such indifference to the hardships that people face does not augur well for harmonious relations between the two countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2020.

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