The Afghanistan debacle

Pakistan shall be left to pick up the pieces in Afhganistan, while US will be desperate to invent a notion of victory.


Sabina Khan December 12, 2012

The recent report titled, “Report on progress toward security and stability in Afghanistan” by the Pentagon faults Pakistan for undermining security in Afghanistan. Rather than competing in the finger-pointing contest, we’d be better served by looking at the facts. The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated and the military coalition is unravelling as countries pull out. The Taliban have become more cohesive and have control of rural Afghanistan. No written policy has ever come to light about Afghanistan, officials and administrations have changed and so have their tactics. It began with the surge operations where the US stated that it would whack the Taliban to the table. Failure of that strategy led to the negotiated approach which was destined for failure since both sides had preconditions. Then began the idea of a bottom-up approach in Afghanistan, effectively asking the lower tiers to integrate without addressing the leadership. Now, there has been a shift to reconciliation involving the leadership in a top-down approach, where the Haqqanis must be brought to the table but are also listed as a terrorist organisation. Meanwhile, the Taliban are expected to participate in the upcoming elections in Afghanistan but the US has stated that if the Taliban choose to stay away, then they must not disrupt the process and accept the results. This is highly naive since the Taliban do not recognise the Constitution and they have nothing to gain from such demands.

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)

Akhter | 11 years ago | Reply

@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!

Akhter | 11 years ago | Reply

@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!!!!

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