The Afghans must learn to tolerate and live with one another in peace.
HYDERABAD: This is with reference to Raasti Said’s piece “What should Pakistan do with its Afghan refugees?” (July 31). The article shows that the writer has genuine concerns for the Afghan refugees but has failed to grasp some crude facts before writing the article. She states: “The Pakistan and US governments need to put their misunderstandings aside and start working together … ”
What difference does Pakistan have with the US regarding Afghan refugees? Pakistan recently extended the deadline for the refugees to stay on in the country till 2015. It is largely the failure of the Afghan government that although it has received aid from almost all over the world, it has not been able to eradicate corruption and nepotism, and develop a sense of security among the Afghans. The US is partly to blame for that because it has kept on tolerating the Hamid Karzai-led Afghan government, while posing all kinds of nonsensical barriers for the disbursement of the Coalition Support Funds to Pakistan.
Many Afghans I personally know have been living happily in Pakistan. However, as soon as they get EU/ American/Canadian/Australian citizenships, they suddenly become true Afghans and start blaming Pakistan for all the ills afflicting their country. This is, of course, not true for all Afghans who have lived in Pakistan as many of them do admire their host country.
The bottom line is that Afghans, no matter what creed or ideology they adhere to, must learn to tolerate and live with one another in peace; otherwise, no amount of external aid can glue them together.
Asad Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2013.
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