Daily Times

There seems to be no end to violence and mayhem in Afghanistan. The security forces suffered third attack during this week on Wednesday when an explosives laden truck targeted an Afghan army base in Kandahar on Wednesday. And on Thursday, at least 30 people lost their lives in a blast at a Shia mosque in Kabul.

Going by the frequency of attacks in the country since US President Donald Trump’s speech, it is obvious that the efforts put into the strengthening of the Afghan National Army (ANA) have not delivered much. It is equally clear that the Taliban remain a force to be reckoned with.

There has been progress in efforts of the US-led NATO forces in building the ANA into a viable force but recent attacks suggest that it remains vulnerable in the large swathes of territory. Its bases are weaker than those of NATO forces. Lack of weaponry with the ANA must be a factor in this regard.

In this moment of grief, Pakistan must stand with its western neighbour and assure all kinds of support. Peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of peace in Pakistan, and vice versa. We must consider intelligence sharing and joint operations along border region to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.

Both countries have tried pointing fingers at each other several times. That has not worked out for either of them. Both remain embroiled in cycles of violence. Non-state actors continue with their ill-designs. The need of the hour is to evolve a joint strategy for dismantling all militias and for not only respect each other’s sovereignty but also enabling each other to enforce it.

Global powers and regional actors also need to realise that mutual cooperation between state institutions is crucial for promotion of peace in Afghanistan.  *

Published in Daily Times, October 21^st 2017.