Pakistan and
Afghanistan desperately need to cooperate against militancy and provide the acumen necessary to put these people, as well as the need for regional stability, ahead of all else. PHOTO: FILE
It is, of course, impossible to say how or why the skirmish occurred. The bigger issue is the distinct worsening in ties that we see between the two countries. In Kabul, the Afghan deputy foreign minister, Jawed Ludin, has stated that his government was in a “state of shock” over Pakistani complacency in pushing forward the Afghan peace process. Islamabad is a key player in talks with the Taliban, but has said that the Hamid Karzai-led government was impeding these. It is also well known that in Islamabad, there is a strongly rooted belief that India is directing Afghan foreign policy. This, of course, is not entirely unfounded; and on the same pattern, neither is the view in Kabul that Pakistan’s military establishment plans to use militants as a means to gain control over Kabul after the US withdrawal in 2014.
We have seen such games before. Why Pakistan would wish to entangle itself in a country as complicated — and as disaster-prone — as Afghanistan is hard to understand. But staying away from this complex question, the simple fact is that the way things are going now is not good. Pakistan and Afghanistan desperately need to cooperate against militancy, the enemy of the people in both lands, and provide the acumen necessary to put these people, as well as the need for regional stability, ahead of all else, as they plan the future following the planned US pullout in 2014. The increased tensions we see right now will not help at all in this crucial quest.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2013.
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Worsening ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan are based on US' interests because Afghan government is purely and precisely acting upon US' directions and commandments regarding ties and relations with Pakistan and Taliban......
Alone in 2012 India gave 354 scholarships for Afghan students(especially for Girls) to study Medical, Engineering etc in India(JNU, VIT, NIMS). Hoping Numbers will increase in 2013. what you gave them? just Guns & :(
Gulam Rasool"Kuldeep sharma" New Delhi
"Cooperate" without sincerity from Pakistan is an invitation to deflect, dodge and blame. Pakistani establishment refuses to take responsibility for the "strategic assets" it exports. Sadly, the world over, Pakistan is known as an irresponsible country.
@Anti-Afghan: I think it is good to realize that your pakistan became pakistan becoz it was Afghanistan's nieghbor - Pakistan since it came to being has been living on charity and alms from western countries importantly from US, you gusy have nothing comon every time you fart then you blame it on Afghan refugees who brought civilization into your country other wise your breakfast, lunch and dinner was dhaal. You should be aware that your country'e economy boosted because of these refugees and if today they go back to their country next day your whole nation will start begging. Comon honestly send them back to their country and make hayatabad and the whole peshawar terrorist training camp..
Pakistan thnk because of their nuclear power Afghans should accept whatever they say, i tell you something you are not greater than the alexander great, your master the british, the russuian and the american. I think it is for the benefit of pakistan to respect Afghans and do not play with it cause playing with fire is dangerous... Afghans were so unfortunate to have such an evil country as neghbor..
While the sentiment of the Editorial is nice it still seems to empathize with the paranoid belief that somehow India has a major influence on Afghan's dispute with Pakistan. Such a belief ignore the actual history between the two countries and even brushes over Pakistan blindly firing artillery into Afghanistan with the pathetic excuse that it was in retaliation for Pakistan terrorist retreating into Afghanistan. . The reality is that the animosity that Afghanistan has towards Pakistan has nothing to do with India - has everything to do with Pakistan's own behavior - whether it's the "deep state", holding supplies at the border, shelling Afghan villages, or giving sanctuary to terrorist who want to overthrow Kabul.
"Why Pakistan would wish to entangle itself in a country as complicated — and as disaster-prone — as Afghanistan is hard to understand." Is Pakistan any less complicated or disaster-prone? So, why this unfounded superciliousness?
@Anti-Afghan: Anti-Afghan sahib, KP was once an integral part of AFGHANISTAN till British India set up the DURAND LINE !!!
Bravo !!!!
"-----Pakistan and Afghanistan desperately need to cooperate against militancy, the enemy of the peoples in both lands, and provide the acumen necessary to put these people, as well as the need for regional stability, ahead of all else---"
This is highly desireable. As the larger country ,as a most direct neighbour of Afghanistan, perhaps it is the need of the hour , after all these years of war, killings and internal turmoil, that Pakistan shows the GENEROUS side of its nature to the Afghan peoples.
They need it.
Why Pakistan would wish to entangle itself in Afghanistan? Is your editorial pretending to be naive or innocent or childish ? Ever heard of the 'Strategic Depth' ?
I disagree with the contention that Pakistan should get involved. Pakistan has already paid too steep a price for housing endless Afghan refugees and defeating the Soviets from Afghanistan as a front line state. All the criminality in Pakistan has its roots in the Afghan conflict. The Afghans have shown that they will always be loyal to their Indian masters and no amount of effort or good will from Pakistan will change this reality. The best thing to do would be to seal and mine the border as quick as possible and send back the Afghan refugees because Afghanistan will again be unstable when NATO leaves. Afghans excel at being their own worst enemies and blaming others for their problems. This time, Pakistan should just leave the Afghans to their own devices and let them find their own way to India where they can be refugees instead.
Pakistan always says something like "both countries should work together" or "both countries needs to cooperate". The fact is that Afghanistan never got involved in any affairs of Pakistan and it was always Pakistan that was meddling in the affairs of Afghanistan. Pakistan has always thinks that Afghanistan is its colony. After Pakistan went nuclear, they thought they are the leader of the muslim world and as their treatment of Afghanistan worsened further. KSA, USA and China treat Pakistan as their colony and Pakistanis deeply resent in their minds on the treatment they are receiving from KSA, USA and China. Pakistan lets off this resentment and frustration on Afghanistan. Pakistan thinks that Afghanistan is militarily weak and Pakistan is a nuclear power. What Pakistan fails to recognize is that Pakistan's nuclear status does not worry Afghanistan, the same way Bangladesh or Sri Lanka are not worried with India's nuclear status. It is Pakistan alone that has done all damage to its relationship with Afghanistan and so Pakistan should start to repair the relations unilaterally. Pakistan should realize that once US and NATO forces leave the region its strained relationship with Afghanistan would be too costly for Pakistan.
Do not cooperate with Afghanistan. Their citizens have used and abused pakistan enough. Time to go back to your wasteland of a country. Afghans hate Pakistanis and our pushtuns have suffered the most due to afghan refugees. Being a Pakistani pushtun, I would love to see the Pak government force all refugees back to Afghanistan. Fix your own problems, good luck. Next time your country is being used as a battle ground by foreign powers like Russia, US and soon China, do not come knocking on our door. I want all of these afghans out of KP, especially the hayatabad area. Really fed up with these foreign moochers. Go back to your country and you are never welcomed again. PS: Afghanistan was the only country in the UN that opposed the creation of pakistan. Good luck fixing your own country without our help.