Daily Times

Last Monday, 26 people were killed and many others were injured in a suicide attack in Lahore. On the same day, a similar number of people lost their lives in a suicide attack in Kabul. The Taliban of the respective countries claimed the responsibility for these attacks.

Lahore has faced three major suicide attacks so far this year. On 13 February, a DIG police, a SSP and a number of others were killed in a suicide attack on the Mall road. Four soldiers, an air force employee and two civilians were killed in a suicide attack on a census team at Bedian Road in April.

Kabul has witnessed greater bloodshed caused by regular terrorist attacks. In May, a vehicle borne IED exploded killing more than 150 and injuring hundreds of others.

The governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan must stand united to defeat the evil designs of terrorists and their instigators and for the security of their people.

These attacks occurred on the day when Pak army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa and US commander in Afghanistan Gen. John Nicholson met at Army HQ Rawalpindi to resolve irritants and vowed to remain engaged.

The quarters desirous of pushing the US with the implementation of its new policy of more sticks than carrots for Pakistan chose the day for attacks to undermine the spirit of the meeting. Pak-US proximity neither suits the Taliban (Afghan & Pakistani) nor India and its feckless stooges in the Afghan government.

The governments of Pakistan, US, Afghanistan and the Taliban are the four most important stakeholders in the Afghan issue. They need to understand each other’s point of views and positions.

If the US thinks the Afghan Taliban are thriving due to Pakistan’s support, its policy makers can read the book written by former Afghan Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdus Salam Zaeef, who has vehemently criticised Pakistan for abandoning the Taliban post-9/11.

Secondly, the US needs to avoid falling prey to propaganda and should stop issuing statements that can injure the sensibilities of the people of Pakistan. Strong-arming Pakistan might boomerang and undermine the time-tested approach of constructive engagement.

Only a week ago, Robin Raphel, former assistant secretary of state for South Asia, while speaking at a seminar on Afghanistan at the Aspen Institute, California, not only snubbed the Afghan ambassador to the US for his inaccurate and ‘a little-bit misleading’ statements about Pakistan, but also pointed out that lack of clarity in Washington’s policies was preventing Pakistan from reviewing its Afghan policy.

While dealing with Pakistan, the US must learn from China. China considers the East Turkmenistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) a grave security challenge in its restive western region. China expressed concern over the presence of some elements of the ETIM in its tribal areas Pakistan.

But it neither coerced Pakistan nor threatened to stop CPEC over this issue. Pakistan understood its neighbour’s genuine concerns and eliminated this group from its tribal areas.

The US military adventure in Afghanistan is an unending tussle. US must revisit its policy towards the Afghan Taliban. The Taliban had no international or anti-US agenda. President Bush wanted to settle the score with Osama bin Laden therefore hurriedly attacked Afghanistan.

Mullah Omer can also be blamed for his foolhardiness to refuse to hand over or expel Osama Bin Laden form his country. May be some more negotiating might have convinced him to change his mind. Bush and Mullah’s inflated egos pitted them against each other.

The Taliban and the US are fighting a war which has no basis. The OBL era is over. The US must negotiate with the Taliban — who once ruled Afghanistan — and try to install a coalition government in Afghanistan to bring about lasting peace.

If the Afghan Mujahid warlord Gulbadin Hykmatyar, who had been on the US terrorist list for two decades, can come out of hiding and shake hands with the puppet Afghan regime, why can the Taliban not be acceptable to the US?

The onus is also on the Afghan Taliban to play smarter and present themselves as genuine substitutes to the existing rulers of Afghanistan who can ensure regional peace and express the will to go along with the rest of the world.

Saudi Arabia and UAE smartly cut off their relations with the Taliban in the past, but due to geographical and tribal affinities, Pakistan could not end this relationship.

It is therefore facing the blame of supporting the Taliban and the Haqqanis. Pakistan must push the Taliban to initiate serious negotiations for peace with China and Iran’s support.

Meanwhile, Pakistan should continue its relentless efforts of neutralising the TTP leadership in order to defang Indian RAW and Afghan NDS and to foil their wicked designs against Pakistan.

The writer is Honorary Director Centre for Peace and Security Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Masters in International Security, War Studies Department, King’s College London. Tweets at N Elahi@Aaibak

Published in Daily Times, August 1^st , 2017.