The Afghanistan debacle
This brings us to Pakistan; a country led by a dysfunctional government with a populace lost in search of its identity. The nation, having forgotten the ethos for its inception, is now at the mercy of sectarian, ethnic, provincial and linguistic polarisation. Torn between extremism and an artificial ideology based on spirituality, the people are exploited in the name of religion, caste and creed. Intolerance is the nature, violence the character of routine life. As the economy slides in a suicidal plunge, the infrastructure is collapsing and the energy crisis is slowly starving the country into paralysis. The situation bodes ominously for the future. Will the country break up into fiefdoms or will it continue to be a global pariah with grandiose illusions of establishing an Islamic ummah?
Democracy may have many different styles and methods but the modern one that is generally followed in the West is highly unsuited to Pakistan. The pulls and pushes of the feudal system still exist in Pakistan and the exploitation of religion remains an equation in deciding a vote. The lack of education keeps society hostage to rumour and superstition, where the populace votes for local authority or spiritual commonality and not on the basis of administrative or political sense. Keep in mind that it took 150 years of US history for Native Americans to earn the right to vote. Dramatic change doesn’t happen overnight. With misinformation spread so wide and far among the uneducated, the highly corrupt and incompetent Government of Pakistan will not simply go away in the next election.
Perhaps, a technocrat government as a product of a democratic government may be the answer for Pakistan. The international community can assist Pakistan in rewriting its Constitution, since the current one is a failure. This new Constitution should be moderate and acceptable as a political instrument and not an ideological one. Looted funds need to be sought from the world over and put back into the economy. The Durand Line must be recognised and developed as a trade regulating border with the revenue to be distributed amongst the tribes for their development. Finally, a UN peacekeeping force in Afghanistan consisting of peacekeepers from Turkey, China and the Middle East might be the solution to stabilising Afghanistan.
I always wanted the US to succeed in Afghanistan since it would have had a far-reaching impact on the future ‘way of life’ and it was only the US which could have achieved it. Unfortunately, it never treated Pakistan as a serious partner. Both are at fault and now, Pakistan shall be left to pick up the pieces, while the US will be desperate to invent a notion of victory. The foolishness on both parts is telling, terrible and was utterly avoidable.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2012.
COMMENTS (44)
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@Zalmai: Living in the US does not automatically give you authority to espouse hate mail towards Pakistan, for your information it is YOU who has stereotyped the Pakistani Pashtun as "relegated to the lower strata of society and they toil away as laborers, truck drivers, chowkidaars and other menial jobs"
I have great Respect for my Pashtun brother's who are hard working honest and dedicated to a peaceful life for there families, many are Dr's/Professor's (My sons tutor happens to be a professor of Maths) Business Professionals/Bankers etc Furthermore for your information i would say that half of Islamabad properties are owned by my Pashtu speaking brothers, so i would say they have considerable financial clout in Pakistan. Finally with regards to your negative comments on plight of Balouchistan/FATA/KPK i also have concerns on how these parts of Pakistan are/have been neglected by the respective leaders of these areas ( For example ANP Leader has significant property in USA as do the other leader's WHY? not invest in there own areas where elected from?) Peshawar University is a highly respected institution as is Quetta University and YES education should be made available but when local tribal elders prevent the construction of Schools and colleges in FATA/Balouch Areas then it take's a special kind of leader to PUSH through with reforms regardless. (Another example is when Musharraf wanted to open up Bughti area for Cultivation of land vis a vis Katchi Canal system the late Bughti prevented this, when Cadet colleges and modern hospitals were proposed these were again rejected by Bughti as interference of state in his Jaagir, furthermore how can you economically enrich a tribal area if the local clan head has a personal army in excess of 5000 armed soldiers??? Please look up the facts i have stated and visit those areas (like i have) and see for yourself the almost hopeless situation that exists. AND YES we as a people all share the blame for the current situation but it does not mean we favor it!
@Zalmai: "Afghanistan has moved on in the last decade" Truly delusional statement to make, Afghanistan is not just suburbs of Kabul!!! it is a vast beautiful country with huge resource both Natural and Ethnic, Not just Pashtuns but Tajic's Uzbek's etc. Just as Pakistan is a mix of Pashtoon/Punjabi/Sindhi/Balouch and others, this should not be divisive but should be considered an asset and heritage to be proud of. The author may have been naive in some of her summation however this does not detract from the vast problems Pakistan has suffered as a consequence of sharing a border with Afghanistan ( Heroin,opium AK47 Culture,Wheat Smuggling out of Pakistan as well as other items due to a porous border) Many of the comments made regarding Pakistan Generals involvement with Taliban are not unfounded as some are still supporters of that despotic regime that was deposed by USA, I for one wish and that is to CLOSE the border with Afghanistan stop All movement of goods and allow Afghanistan to govern themselves as they see fit. I bear no animosity towards Afghani people but after giving shelter to 3 million plus Afghanis over the past 30 years it's time to send them back and ask you all to forgive us the sins of our forefathers , WE THE PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN HAVE NO INTEREST IN AFGHANISTAN! PLEASE LEAVE US ALONE!!!!
@Zalmai: Dear Zalmai, The Afghanistan debacle is hardly finished. The Taliban are holding down approximately 300,000 highly equipped US/NATO personnel, and have done so for 12 years. Several NATO countries were worn down to exhaustion and withdrew.. The US GDP debt is well over 16 trillion, overall debt is over 90 trillion and America is closing down economically. I do not know were Pakistan/Afghanistan will end up, but I do know America will eventually go home with its tail between its legs, whilst pretending they have had a victory.
@Sterry: - you can stop the hate based propaganda of common view about india - when partition was agreed - Ghaffar Khan said to nehru - you have thrown us to the wolves - for a reason he said so.
@Elhaan Khan
Thank you for acknowledging my efforts to bring attention to the plight of the Pashtuns. I think most people are very well aware of the situation but too patriotic to admit it. I am going to use a quote that someone posted a few days ago regarding blind patriotism and jingoism.
"Patriotism, which robs a man of his capacity to see things objectively, to form
Opinions impartially, and to examine one’s own views critically, is no patriotism.
It is a sickness of mind."
@Sterry
"Perhaps you don’t understand that Pakistanis of different backgrounds have a common view of India and its puppet in Afghanistan. Just because Afghanistan is a multi ethnic state where Tajiks cannot co exist with Pashtuns or Hazaras is no need to extend your comparison to Pakistan where Pashtuns are fully integreated into the national fabric and often determine Pakistan’s policies vis a vis Afghanistan. You would have been better off to say that the blind support that Pakistani Pashtuns give to Afghani Pashtuns has been responsible for a number of foreign policy mistakes Pakistan has made but your harping on the author’s Pashtun backround ignores the reality that more Pashtun live in Pakistan than Afghanistan and that Pakistani Pashtun live better lives with more opportunity. As for the author’s assessment, I be\lieve many of her comments are well thought out; The fact that so many Indians and Afghanis are commenting on it here only shows that there must be something to it, that they are expressing their desperate comments to disprove the analysis."
For your information I have many Pakistani Pashtun friends here in the US and they are unanimous in their opinions regarding the connivance of the Pakistani Urdu speaking elite and how they manipulate and exploit the Pashtun for votes and to fight their dirty wars in Kashmir and Afghanistan.
Pashtuns in Pakistan take a back seat to Punjabis and have no say in anything and that my friend is the bitter truth. If Pashtuns had any say in Pakistan's domestic or foreign policies, KP, FATA and Balochistan would not be the backward backwaters of Pakistan and you would have universities like LUMS all over Pashtun territories and you talk of being integrated.
Your views along with this writer's narrative are in the minority and everyone sees through this hypocrisy. Bacha Khan saw through this hypocrisy almost a hundred years ago. You claim that Pakistani Pashtun live better lives with more opportunity, what world are you living in? The majority of Pakistani Pashtuns are relegated to the lower strata of society and they toil away as laborers, truck drivers, chowkidaars and other menial jobs.
Afghans and Indians share their views here to enlighten the brainwashed masses of Pakistan and to show them the mirror. If Afghanistan is a puppet of India then Pakistan is a puppet of China, UAE, Saudi Arabia and above all the granddaddy paymaster USA.
@Zalmai: You are a true voice of Pakhtuns' miseries in Pakistan and Afghanistan inflicted on them by Punjabi establishment . When you go to Punjab and talk to them , they would always tell you that RAW , MOSSAD and CIA involved in Talibanization KP and Tribal Area but we Pakhtuns know who is doing it and how . They don't know that how come at curfew nights common people are restricted to home but Taliban freely blow up schools and how top leadership of Taliban being kept shifting from one part of another one and how Fazalullah safely found himself out of Swat during military operation .
@Zalmai: Perhaps you don't understand that Pakistanis of different backgrounds have a common view of India and its puppet in Afghanistan. Just because Afghanistan is a multi ethnic state where Tajiks cannot co exist with Pashtuns or Hazaras is no need to extend your comparison to Pakistan where Pashtuns are fully integreated into the national fabric and often determine Pakistan's policies vis a vis Afghanistan. You would have been better off to say that the blind support that Pakistani Pashtuns give to Afghani Pashtuns has been responsible for a number of foreign policy mistakes Pakistan has made but your harping on the author's Pashtun backround ignores the reality that more Pashtun live in Pakistan than Afghanistan and that Pakistani Pashtun live better lives with more opportunity. As for the author's assessment, I be\lieve many of her comments are well thought out; The fact that so many Indians and Afghanis are commenting on it here only shows that there must be something to it, that they are expressing their desperate comments to disprove the analysis.
I have to agree with Much of what Sexton said. The region would probably be more stable without foreign interference. I wish more people had just a little sense of history to see what happened to Cambodia and Laos during Viet Nam intrusions across their border. The problems in Pakistan were easily predictable. Nobody is a saint in this entire conflict, however. The US was attacked and viewed elements within Afghanistan to be a threat... and the response was rational. Once Rumsfield's posse screwed up at Tora Bora the whole thing became a fiasco.
Other than that... I see a whole bunch of trolls on here who are angry at someone who posed ideas while they offer nothing constructive of their own. Good job Sabina, you gave many people something worthwhile to consider and discuss.
@Zalmai: "... the educated and dangerous Muhajir and Punjabi. They are merely pawns duped into every conflict." . Finally you blurted it out. Superb analysis of this huge monolith connived by the dangerous Muhajirs and Punjabis. Not too unexpected.
@Author
"Both are at fault and now, Pakistan shall be left to pick up the pieces, while the US will be desperate to invent a notion of victory. The foolishness on both parts is telling, terrible and was utterly avoidable."
The US does not have to invent a notion of victory, it is victorious. US and Afghan security forces have successfully eliminated the threat of Taliban taking over Kabul. The Taliban are a sideshow that occasionally resort to killing innocent Afghans and targeting influential leaders in an attempt to stay relevant.
Afghanistan has moved on in the last decade but Pakistani generals are still stuck in a time warp clinging to a version of the past and this state narrative is parroted by this naive writer here.
The international community can assist Pakistan in rewriting its Constitution, since the current one is a failure.
Am I supposed to believe that self drafted constitutions lead to failures, but other drafted constitutions are a recipe for success? How about becoming a colony of Afghanistan and following their constitution?
This new Constitution should be moderate and acceptable as a political instrument and not an ideological one.
And who will guarantee that no one will ask for 'Objectives Resolution' and Ahmadia amendment?
@Arijit Sharma
The average Pashtun in Pakistan does not harbor any ill will towards India or Indians and they are not ideologically bound to the Taliban or Al Qaeda like the educated and dangerous Muhajir and Punjabi. They are merely pawns duped into every conflict.
@Feroz
"Please go and live for a couple of years in N. Waziristan, speak to the ordinary people who you refer to in derogatory language and you will understand what is happening. Wearing a suit and tie or skirt and blouse does not make anyone a moderate and Pakistan is live proof of it. The most radicalized are the educated who are stuck in the quicksand of some make believe glorious Islamic past. The poor and illiterate are simply guns available for hire, exploited by the radicalized educated lot. The poor and uneducated want the Taliban and non State actors to be crushed but the decision makers do not want to lose these Assets that give them the power to terrorize without accountability and responsibility. Afghanistan need not be brought into the conversation because it is a victim of Terrorism, not its backer and creator."
Brilliant analysis. The average Pashtun has a better and more sophisticated world view than the educated who are radicalized and have delusions of grandeur. The poor and illiterate are exploited into becoming guns for hire and they are merely trying to make a living.
Pakistani intellectuals deliberately ignore the fact that Afghanistan is victimized by terrorists created by Pakistan, but they keep on blaming all their problems on Afghanistan when it is the other way around.
@Faisal
"All the intellectuals need to understand only one thing, the solution to Afghan problem is in the hands of Afghans. US, NATO, Pakistan, India and Iran are just part of the problem."
The intellectuals are brainwashed into thinking that Pakistan is the center of the universe. Common sense eludes them.
@Sher Shah Suri: "Native’ that truely understands the ground realities!"
What do you propose? Waziri Pashtun Imran Khan, should abandon his impossible-to-achieve-dream of a political career and ask his Taliban contacts to procure a piece of land in Waziristan. Half of which can be used to build a farm house (Paradise II) on the rest a Girls College with Pashtu as the medium of instruction. . The project can be financed by a little help from his friends with fat bank accounts, in Channel Islands..
@ Author! Your suggestion that "The Durand Line must be recognized and developed as a trade regulating border with the revenue to be distributed among the tribes for their development." is good one if there are made some additions and omission. First, there is no need of border among them as they are of the same race and have a common culture, language and history. Instead further integration of the people residing on both sides of the Durand Line shall take place and all barriers whether in terms of movement or trade shall be completely removed. Second, for economic development of the area especially generating employment opportunities, a free trade zone shall be established in the area, and the products manufactured there shall be give duty free access to the markets of wealthy countries.
Agreed with Zalmai.
Sabina Khan has presented a reasonably good case for Afghanistan/Pakistan. Everybody really knows that problems exist, but then serious problems exist in almost every country and the politicians everywhere do not know how to solve them. However, added to Pakistan/Afghanistan home grown problems is the debacle created by US/NATO forces. I cannot think of one country that would be in good shape if the idiots from Washington had chased people across the border into their country, and then had their problems escalated by air strikes and drone bombers which routinely flew over their country in order to kill a few militants and thousands of innocent people, as well as destroying infrastructure. Over the last 12 years Pakistan/Afghanistan citizens have been thoroughly traumatized, and it will take a long time for them to recover. There is of course the incredible expense of a 12 year war to consider. Billions of Rupees have been wasted and it is virtually impossible to conjecture what the money could have done if it had been spent sensibly. However, I think we can safely say that Pakistan/Afghanistan would be in a much more improved economic position, than that which currently exists, if the Americans had stayed at home.
Unfortunately, it never treated Pakistan as a serious partner... you might not know, but world realised how serious is pakistan.
i guess religion is the only theme in Pakistan be it any issue from house-hold to Geo politics. @ author grow up.. from your whimsical fancy melodramatic prophesy .. Afghanistan stabilizing agents are India-turkey-US .. Pakistan is not able to rule its own people how you profess anything regarding china is also a key global payer with vast inherit significance in region ..keep out Pakistan and middle east everything would be all fine in Afghanistan my brother country from a friendly Indian :)
All the intellectuals need to understand only one thing, the solution to Afghan problem is in the hands of Afghans. US, NATO, Pakistan, India and Iran are just part of the problem.
The title of your op-ed must be ' The suggestions for Peace in Afghanistan & Pakistan'. Firstly, the peace in Afghanistan is totally dependable on Taliban's acceptance of the Constitution of Afghanistan, which is highly unlikely in the near future. Because the Taliban is a powerful force to be reckoned with and they know that as soon as the US and the allied force withdraw, they would be in a position to capture Kabul within the matter of days. So, the time is on their side and they don't need to worry. Secondly, you aptly described the current plights and predicaments of Pakistan, which truly reflects the prevailing scenario of this unfortunate country. This country needs an international surgery. One of the possible solutions would be that the British should re-possess this country. They should set the things right from the word go. Lastly, i would go with your suggestion of the UN peacekeeping force for Afghanistan, which should be consists of mostly from the Muslim countries. “The Durand Line must be recognized”. Being yourself a Pashtun, most of the Pastuns won’t be agree with your this assertion.
Such an immature article, to say the least. Looks more like a high-school essay, rather than a "native" of the region with a Master's degree.
Please go and live for a couple of years in N. Waziristan, speak to the ordinary people who you refer to in derogatory language and you will understand what is happening. Wearing a suit and tie or skirt and blouse does not make anyone a moderate and Pakistan is live proof of it. The most radicalized are the educated who are stuck in the quicksand of some make believe glorious Islamic past. The poor and illiterate are simply guns available for hire, exploited by the radicalized educated lot. The poor and uneducated want the Taliban and non State actors to be crushed but the decision makers do not want to lose these Assets that give them the power to terrorize without accountability and responsibility. Afghanistan need not be brought into the conversation because it is a victim of Terrorism, not its backer and creator.
"----- a technocrat government as a product of a democratic government may be the answer for Pakistan. ----"
Huum~~and what would that be , may we know ?
Nonsense! This writer is typical establishment's ideas inspired writer sitting in comfortably in the US and misleading the Americans about the ground reality which is that unless you fix Pak Army , there should be no peace in Pakistan , especially KPK and tribal area, and Afghanistan. All Pakistani so-called corrupt politicians want to make peace with India and Afghanistan but powerful Rawalpindi won't let them do it. Yes, Presidential system might work for Pakistan but not the one comes from GHQ.
@Zalmai: " ... The state of Pakistan continues to pursue the policy of its colonial masters against Pashtuns, which are divide and conquer, keep them uneducated, radicalized and outside the system. ... "
Indians have the greatest of respect for the noble and simple Pashtun people. It pains us to see Pashtuns (Pakistani) being made to participate in the (essentially Punjabi, Muhajir) conflict with India.
If the durand line is to be recognised why not Kashmir also ???
I always wanted the US to succeed in Afghanistan since it would have had a far-reaching impact on the future ‘way of life’ and it was only the US which could have achieved it. Unfortunately, it never treated Pakistan as a serious partner... Remember OBL ???
I always wanted the US to succeed in Afghanistan since it would have had a far-reaching impact on the future ‘way of life’ and it was only the US which could have achieved it. Unfortunately, it never treated Pakistan as a serious partner... Remember OBL ??????
@Sher Shah Suri: @Zalmai: Personalised remarks about the writer totally unwarranted. I have met girls from FATA in Lahore who are competent lawyers , doctors and accountants . Education is not an urban monopoly Professor Salam was from a jhang our only Nobel laureate. Diverse views about the conflict are possible even if you are from FATA.
When talking of the political situvation in Pakistan the Author displays arrogance of the elite . The small minority who ch has been fortunate to have access to western education mistakenly assume that those who do not read or write English are incapable of correctly casting their vote .Hence the call for a technocratic government . The Author , and Pakistani elite of similar view , need to dispassionately look at the Indian experiment with democracy . There are flaws in the system but it does reflect the will of the people and keeps the idea of india alive .
Pakistan cannot handle Karachi or fata who are these fools that dream of controlling Afghanistan ?
"The foolishness on both parts is telling, terrible and was utterly avoidable." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The foolishness on US part was to treat Pakistan with its duplicity, deceit and denials as an ally in the WOT.
You need to know more about Afghanistan -- and how to do analysis.
"This brings us to Pakistan; a country .............The nation, having forgotten the ethos for its inception, is now at the mercy of sectarian, ethnic, provincial and linguistic polarisation." Is this the root cause of your problems? The nation has NOT forgotten its inception which is rooted in superiority of a certain religion. Having won Pakistan for Muslims, now it s logical to turn to sectarianism mostly imposed by the Sunnis for they are more equal than all other Muslims.
Second you talk about Pakistsn not being treated as an equal. You choose to support, harbour and export "strategic assets". You have not kept your committments to go after Al Qaeda and similar outfits. Yet you have the audacity to ask for aid by day from the US and then kill Its troops by night. These are choices you have made. The US - like any outsider, will leave but you will have to deal with Afghanistan. Keeping it unstable and dependent on you is state policy no matter the cost to you. The debacle is yours - you made it and shall inherit it. Don't ask Uncle to help you then.
What a shocker of an article from a 'Native' Pashtun !! My first thought is this must be a (II) Pashtun like Imran Khan's or anybody...simply place a khan as surname. Bravo to this paper for finding a 'Native' that truely understands the ground realities!
So the solution to afghanistan lies in writing a new constitution for pakistan?
It is sad to see that a Pashtun from Waziristan with a master's degree is not brave enough to call out her nation's flawed policies vis a vis Afghanistan and Pashtuns. The writer needs to focus on the exploitation of Pashtuns in Waziristan, FATA, KP and Balochistan by the establishment and how that impacts Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pashtun lashkars and terrorist outfits serve the establishment's agenda resulting in perpetual conflict and destabilization, impacting both sides of the Durand Line robbing them of infrastructure, educational institutions and other capacity building institutions.
The state of Pakistan continues to pursue the policy of its colonial masters against Pashtuns, which are divide and conquer, keep them uneducated, radicalized and outside the system.
Pashtuns are trumped up as warriors and their territories are used as fronts to wage jihad on their brethren across the Durand Line. Sad to read columns by educated Pakistanis that are oblivious to their own misdeeds and unable to hold their government accountable.
And dear author would like you to write about the Turkish treatment of Kurds, genocide of Armenians and invasion of Cryrus -- or does religion prevents you from doing so?
UN peacekeeping force in Afghanistan consisting of peacekeepers from Turkey, China and the Middle East might be the solution
On one hand you espouse a break from religion and spiritual underpinnings of the constitution and all things to do with statecraft. In the same breadth you call for Turkey and Middle East interference in Afghanistan where they have no historical, cultural or politial stake; but just RELIGION. And you mention China, of course because no Pakistani commentator can ignore the "deepest Ocean" friend - who too has no cultural linkage in Afganistan, nor interest! But due to sheer difference of RELIGION you ignore India that has thousands of years of historical and cutural and political relations - even today India is favoured more than US or Pakistan or anybody by the ordinary Afghanistani as proved in surveys after surveys.
Dear Author, you either recommend clear a break from religion driving politics, or if you can't, please donot pretend!
Waa Waa, trotting out the doctrine of necessity, benevolent dictator and foreign helping hands. I mean the magnificence of your naivety is breathtaking. Not only have you declared Pakistan a failed state, you have declared that the Afghans are unable to take care of their affairs, and then go on to assume that China will offer peacekeepers in Afghanistan? And more elitist nonsense regarding illeterate people making poor decisions. And what off the native Americans? "Earn the right to vote"? What earning exactly, they suffered mass injustices! They are a fair number of highly educated people who choose not to vote and remain aloof. Many highly educated people across the globe support, racist, protectionists, intolerant and fascist political parties. Stop treating the poor and illeterate as second class citizens, perhaps go out and see how local committees, workers parties, unions etc work and see that the illeterate poor as you say are more well versed in politics than our suddenly politicised upper middle class youth.
Sabina - I think the article had good points but it seemed like more of a roller coaster starting from U.S. shifting war strategies in Afghanistan and moving to voting patterns in Pakistan and finally suitability of technocratic government and drafting of new constitution with external help. Had you kept the focus narrow, it would have been a great op-ed.