Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Eminent historian and British author of renowned book “Pakistan a Hard Country”, Anatol Lieven has said that Durand Line, the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, is recognised by the United Nations and vast majority of international community.

“Pakistan has due right of fencing and regulating its borders. It is not a violation of Afghanistan-Pakistan transit trade,” said Anatol Lieven, who is an intellectual, award-winning journalist and policy analyst. Speaking exclusively to Daily Times, he said Afghan position on Durand Line is not supported even by the United States, which recognises it as the international border. On the other hand, Pakistan has a very strong case that Taliban are moving across the border into both Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Pakistan needs to stop them. It has distanced itself from Afghan Taliban. The leadership of Taliban is based in Pakistan and it is an open secret.”

He said it does not mean that Pakistan should apprehend them or destroy them, but it can bring them to the negotiations table. Lieven noted that the US always accuses Pakistan and its premier intelligence agency ISI of providing support to the Taliban and interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, and even if 10 percent of these charges are true, it is not good for Pakistan. On Pakistan’s claim that Afghanistan is sheltering Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants, he claimed that Pakistan has also been sheltering Afghan Taliban since long.

On the border mechanism, Lieven said it would be much better for Afghanistan to take the lead in resolving this dispute. “It largely depends upon the Afghan side to prepare and take pragmatic approach in this connection.” Though Afghanistan does not officially recognise the Durand Line, but it is a globally recognised border, and this fact cannot be changed, he said, adding that fghanistan can suggest measure to soften border restrictions on the lines of the arrangement between Northern Ireland and Britain, where many people travel every day across the border. Lieven said thousands of people cross the Pak-Afghan border regularly, and it is a difficult job, but this does not mean that no-one should take a start.

He asserted Pakistan has full legal right to stop smuggling from Afghanistan because the two countries have a transit trade agreement that allows legal trade. On the question of repatriation of Afghan refugees, he said that on one side Pakistan has a legitimate case that Afghanistan, even after 15 years of presence of international forces, has been unable to ensure a respectful return of refugees to their homeland. “In the past there was a civil war in Afghanistan, so there was a reason for refugees to shelter in neighbouring countries. Although the security position in Afghanistan has not fully normalised, but even the case of Pakistan of sending back Afghan refugees is quite strong. But there are refugees whose third generation was born in Pakistan, so they are eligible to stay here.”

When asked if the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are not ready to accept refugees then how would other would provinces welcome them, Lieven said “if millions of Syrian and Afghan refugees can be accepted in Europe, Britain and Germany,” there should be no issues here.

While responding to a query on Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) that has been striving for a successful peace process in Afghanistan, Lieven said QCG, which groups important countries of the region, should continue to play a positive role. “China, at the end of the day, can play a critical role. But, I don’t see any big change in Afghanistan at present, due to certain reasons and positions taken by the Afghan government and Taliban. They are so different and opposite, I don’t think QCG can put in place a short- or medium term solution.” He said Washington, Islamabad, Kabul and Taliban must completely change their existing stance, and added that all countries would have to work to resume the peace talks.

Lieven suggested good trade relations for improving relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said first of all both the countries should move one step forward to enhance the trade volume between two sides. He sad that due to Pakistan’s “mistake”, India took advantage and increased its trade with Afghanistan and now the trade balance goes in favour of India instead of Pakistan. He said if transit trade control were in the hands of Pakistan, it could have cut the trade lines anytime if India did anything against its interests.

Pakistan can use Afghan transit trade to explore the markets of Central Asia for its products, he said, adding that if the relations between the two sides improve, Pakistan can demand handover of TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah from Afghanistan.