Daily Times

Afghanistan has been in the throes of violence, and the nation has faced death and destruction during the last three and a half decades. Firstly, when Soviet forces landed in Afghanistan, what they said, on the request of the then Afghan government, the US and the West planned the overt and covert operation against them. Secondly, people became victims of the civil war between the warlords after withdrawal of the Soviet forces. And thirdly, after 9/11 when the US and NATO forces invaded Afghanistan. Three elections were held under the US and NATO bayonets; twice Hamid Karzai was elected as president allegedly through deception and fraud. In September 2014 elections, Ashraf Ghani was elected as president. A unity government was formed, and Abdullah Abdullah was appointed as Chief Executive Officer. But they continue with their power struggle, which is fraught with extreme dangers.

CEO Abdullah Abdullah, in public outbursts, accused Ghani of centralising authority and not respecting the American-brokered deal that settled the disputed presidential election and created the unity government. Ashraf Ghani recently agreed to deal with a political rival, Atta Muhammad Noor, the powerful governor of northern Balkh Province who was once an important ally of Abdullah. But he developed differences with Abdullah and had expressed disappointment over his failing to secure a fair share of the coalition government for the Jamiat bloc. The political situation has been further complicated due to the conflict between the Parliament and the Executive. Last month, Parliament had sacked seven ministers belonging to both sides of the unity government on various charges including the one that they failed to spend the funds allocated for development. However, President Ashraf Ghani asked the ministers to continue. The matter is now in the Supreme Court.

First vice president, General Abdul Rashid Dostum has been critical of the government, to which he is the part, expressing disappointment for deploying incompetent and inexperienced officers and soldiers in his area. In October 2016, Dostum had unleashed a tirade in which he issued a veiled threat that he might turn against his own government if disrespect towards him and his Uzbek constituency continued. He had earlier vowed that he and his Uzbek militia fighters would lead the northern war against the Taliban if the government would not. At a news conference at his personal palace in northern Afghanistan, General Dostum accused President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive, Abdullah Abdullah, of favouring the ethnic groups they belong to and used their power to suppress other ethnicities. However, President’s spokesman had refuted those charges and said that he was a part of the decision-making process.

But to cover up their internal fissures and failures, President Ashraf Ghani accuses Pakistan of supporting the militants. On 3 December, India and Afghanistan joined hands at the Heart of Asia conference to malign Pakistan. Narendra Modi heaped scorn at Islamabad for, what he called, its inaction against terrorism in the region. In his veiled reference to Pakistan, Modi said silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and the region would only embolden terrorists and their masters. “We must demonstrate the strong collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear,” he added. President Ashraf Ghani alleged that Pakistan was a sponsor of terrorism. The question is when Afghan government admits that Taliban control about 30 percent of Afghanistan, why Taliban leaders or fighters would need a safe haven in Pakistan or any other country when they hold territory where they can train, rest and groom?

At a recent briefing at Pentagon, commander of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John W. Nicholson said, “Pak-Afghan region has the highest concentration of terrorist groups in the world. Out of 98 US-designated groups around the world, 20 are in Pak-Afghan region — 13 in Afghanistan and 7 in Pakistan.” In fact, Pakistan has taken measures to discourage movements of militants to and fro Afghanistan. Pakistan also sincerely tried to bring the Taliban leaders to the negotiating table; but Northern Alliance elements do not wish to see any agreement with the Taliban, as they will have to share power with them who represent the Pushtun majority. The Afghan government, and especially NDS officials, had leaked the news of Mullah Omer when the Taliban had agreed to hold talks unconditionally.

President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah have been at loggerheads since the formation of a unity government, as both of them wished to gain greater control over power. The Taliban benefited from their internal rifts over the appointment of security chiefs, governors and key bureaucrats, and have been attacking in Kabul’s high-security zones at will, sometimes taking over entire provinces without much resistance. A number of residents of southeastern Paktika province recently said that Taliban militants searched vehicles and passengers on highways. They look for government officials in vehicles on the Paktika-Ghazni and Paktika-Paktia highways. One resident told Pajhwok Afghan News that the highways in Paktika had become highly insecure, as Taliban militants daily searched vehicles on roads and pulled government officials from vehicles and killed them. This means that writ of the government does not exist there and elsewhere and Taliban control the area.

One would not know what message the Taliban wanted to give when they offered to protect major government projects such as the mining of a big copper deposit and an international natural gas pipeline project to assist the development and prosperity of war-torn Afghanistan. The insurgents have been behind much of the violence over the last 15 years that has frightened off investors, leaving Afghanistan unable to tap its vast natural resources and build the infrastructure necessary for development and progress of the country. Secondly, the Taliban, leadership maintains that their fight is against foreign military forces and the foreign-backed government, not ordinary Afghans. “The Islamic Emirate not only backs all national projects which are in the interest of the people and result in the development and prosperity of the nation but are also committed to safeguarding them,” the Taliban said in a statement.

The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at mjamil1938@hotmail.com