‘Post-US withdrawal peace looks grim in AfPak region’

Speakers warn against overreliance on influence over Taliban.

ISLAMABAD:

There is a grim prospect of peace in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal because of the trust deficit among all the stakeholders and lack of clarity in their direction.

This was the collective stance of speakers who discussed “Afghanistan and Pakistan: Conflict and extremism” at the Islamabad Literature Festival on Wednesday.

Senior journalist Rashid Rehman opened the session as a moderator with a question asking how lasting peace could be achieved in Afghanistan after the US withdrew its forces from the country.

Analyst Muhammad Amir Rana while talking about the Pakistani-side of the border said that proxies, which had been nurtured under the very nose of the state, have now become independent.

“And this is the point which is needed to be understood. Peace starts from this side of the border and the post-US withdrawal scenario depends on the behaviour of the militants,” he said.

Former diplomat, Riaz Khokhar, said that peace seemed a distant possibility in Afghanistan in near future. “The fundamental reason behind all this is the trust deficit among all the stakeholders including the US, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.”

“This trust deficit is not hidden but obvious,” he said.

Khokhar said that while Mullah Omer was still calling the shots, Pakistan should not overrate its control on the Taliban.



He said that peace in Afghanistan was as important as Afghanistan itself. “There is no other option but permanent peace in Afghanistan and there will be a huge blowback to all if things went the other way round,” he warned.

Journalist Zahid Hussain said that though militants have their presence in all Muslim countries, Pakistan was the only country in the world where militancy was nurtured under the state patronage.

“Sadly, the Lal Masjid episode was a turning point when the writ of the state was challenged by militants followed by attacks and blasts in settled areas of the country,” he said.

He said that the roots of militancy lied in Pakistan and peace in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal depended on the elimination of militant sanctuaries in Pakistan. “Pakistan must eliminate them, otherwise, it will be in much trouble,” he said.

He said that fragmentation of Afghanistan on ethnic lines will not work as, according to him, Uzbeks, Tajiks and other groups believed in unified and independent Afghanistan

Former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, said that nobody should undermine the role of Iran in maintaining peace in Afghanistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2013.