Editorial

The Afghan blame game

Both countries need to realise that the opportunities created by the recent warming of relations must not be wasted

Editorial June 26, 2015

Afghan security personnel take position at the site of an attack in front of The Parliament Building in Kabul on June 22, 2015. PHOTO: AFP

Despite the recent warming of relations, there is a long way to go before the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan can be described as ‘normalised’. The attack on the Afghan parliament that was quickly claimed by the Afghan Taliban has led to an exchange of un-pleasantries and accusations. The Afghan intelligence service is claiming that elements within Pakistan were involved in the planning and financing of the attack, using the Haqqani network as a proxy. In addition to finance, it is alleged that these elements provided logistical support, and that the entire enterprise was planned in Peshawar. These are very serious allegations indeed, which Pakistan has refuted in the strongest terms.

The waters are further muddied by claims that the attack was the work of the Indian intelligence agency RAW, and was designed to derail the improvements in the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Specifically, to undermine defence collaboration and the much publicised intelligence-sharing agreement signed between the two countries in the last month. This particular claim cannot be overlooked outright.

All the claims, counter-claims and refutations regarding the attack on the Afghan parliament hint that whilst there is both desire and willingness at the highest civilian and military levels in both Afghanistan and Pakistan for an improvement in relations, at a lower level, inside government institutions, such pacifism may be lacking. The role of other regional players that may not be wholly pleased with the recent warming of relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan cannot be discounted either.

Add to this, the sputtering peace process that involves the Afghan Taliban, the Afghan government and the Chinese, with Pakistan playing the role of a facilitator and honest broker, it is clear that the road ahead is going to be bumpy. Not all regional players are on the same page, or even reading from the same book and not all have an equal investment in the peace process in the region. Those who do not, will try to knock it off course, with the result being events like the one recently witnessed, followed by accusations and counter-accusations. Both countries need to realise before it is too late that the opportunities created by the recent warming of relations must not be wasted.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2015.

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COMMENTS (10)

prem | 9 years ago | Reply @Afzal:The problem with you people is that you don't read comments carefully and start swearing.I have said same thing about the RAW that Raw is not what you people think it is.About bringing India to knees is your pure delusion,You are waiting for current situation in Pakistan to defuse and then dealing with India is nothing but your frustration..Your this obsession has brought to you to your present situation.

Afzal | 9 years ago | Reply @prem: In any sabotage activity India has to be the first suspect and must be subjected to thorough scrutiny. And coward RAW is not powerful, certain politically orphaned groups among us are providing opportunity for enemy to chip in and plan their dirty acts. Involvement in Pakistan has been admitted by your national security advisor and the PM himself. If that continues ISI will have to initiate appropriate and befitting responses once The army has completed its current operations on western border. Our current strength has the capability to see India go in a kneeling position....give us just a little more time.

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rama | 9 years ago | Reply @Sid: Joint investigation for what, to cover up the Pakistan involvement ?

prem | 9 years ago | Reply There is no denying the fact that every nation has its share of conspiracy theories.In Pakistan, however, the numbers of such are so vast that each and everything has footprints of RAW,CIA and MOSSAD. Even the current heatwaves in Karachi and Sindh are blamed on India.For this reason no one listen to it.In India people are pleasantly surprised that RAW has become so powerful that it can do anything in Pakistan.With this rate of success time is not faraway when LeT,HUM and their chiefs will taking orders from RAW.

Zarb e Hanood | 9 years ago | Reply There is no blame game being played by Afghanistan or for that matter anyone of Pakistan’s neighbours, all of whom have at one time or another, have rightly accused Pakistan of fomenting Islamic Terrorism within their countries. There is no blame game because it is well beyond any reasonable yard stick that Pakistan is a regional fount for Islamic Terrorism and that State Actors in Pakistan have a well-established track record of fomenting Islamic Terrorism in the neighbourhood. Indeed over the past two decades, Pakistan has been found to be fomenting Islamic Terrorism by every single one of its neighbours be it Iran, Afghanistan, India or China. There is thus no game about the blame, the blame of Pakistan fomenting Islamic Terrorism against its neighbours is 800% justified. Very disappointing to see that the malaise of living in denial about Pakistan’s well established penchant for fomenting Islamic Terrorism on its periphery is so deep rooted that even self-appointed icons of “Liberal” Pakistan such as Express Tribune generates editorial with titles implying that Pakistan is not fomenting terrorism against its neighbours. Express Tribune should instead be castigating the Punjab province dominated Military elite to cease and desist behaviour that has created a blowback situation where various Islamic Terrorists cultivated to sow havoc in neighbouring countries are now running amok in Pakistan and causing many more deaths in Pakistan than they are causing in countries neighbouring Pakistan.

Feroz | 9 years ago | Reply The Afghans are not fools that they are unaware of the sources and origins of violence that have tormented them for over three decades. Pakistani actions have ensured that its fate remains tied to whatever happens in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has survived as a country with the same borders for centuries, cannot say the same for its new neighbor from 1947 which while flexing its military muscles for seven decades is now half its original size. The only buyers of Pakistani propaganda remain its citizens, in dwindling numbers though.

Sri Varahadev | 9 years ago | Reply Good to note that Afghanistan has not fallen for Pakistan’s Punjabi dominated Military’s nefarious plot to use twitter to cover up Pakistani Military’s involvement in the attack on the Afghan Parliament by making farfetched and credibility stretching claims that India was involved in the attack. Pakistan’s Punjabi dominated Military’s contemptuous view of Pathan’s as a bunch of uneducated tribesmen who will fall for any plot that plays the Islamic Religious card that Non-Muslims are out to do in the Muslim Momin has been well negated by the judicious judgment shown by the Afghans in rejecting Indian involvement and rightfully pinning blame on Pakistan’s Punjabi dominated Military: http://www.firstpost.com/world/rawattacksafghanparliament-pakistan-twitter-blamed-taliban-attack-india-2307266.html

amir-india | 9 years ago | Reply who is claiming raw is involved the great pakistan who can never be wrong on any count whole world is idiot and whole world is paid by indian only pakistan can say right.open ur eyes smell the coffee there is no such thing like jealousy or other thing ,simple thing is afghan taliban had taken responsibility of attack whose quetta shura is in pakistan and whome pakistan always supported.

Sid | 9 years ago | Reply Instead of refuting, how about asking for evidence and proposing joint investigation to resolve the problems ?

Mayuresh | 9 years ago | Reply fantastic to see that you have now thrown in the towel and joined your establishment's propaganda that perhaps its RAW behind everything. Never mind the fact that Afghan taliban have taken responsibility, have refused to be part of peace process and the fact that US report has asserted that nothing has been done to Haqqani network. The future looks very bright.

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