Daily Times

Pakistan believes in the policy of peaceful co-existence both regionally and globally. It has proved this commitment by being a major contributor to UN Peace Missions in war-torn countries around the world.

Afghanistan, an important neighbour has been suffering due wars of one kind or another since the late 1970s. The so-called great powers came to Afghanistan apparently to crush the roots of religious extremism, drug-trafficking, terrorism and smuggling.

Pakistan does not enjoy cordial relations with Afghanistan because it has suffered the fallout of wars and regional instability. In the post-9/11 environment, it has lost billions of dollars and thousands of people, including both armed forces and civilians to the war on terror.

Pakistan supports the ongoing peace process in Afghanistan. It is making sincere efforts to convince all stakeholders to sit at the negotiating table and talk peace. To resolve all issues through dialogue to ensure stability in the country. As a result of persistent efforts from Pakistan at all levels, the Taliban and US signed a bilateral peace deal in Doha on February 29, 2020 to end the longest American war ever.

Pakistan’s important contribution towards this end is being appreciated by all stakeholders; including the top US leadership and the world at large. Everyone is keeping their fingers crossed and praying for things to keep moving in the right direction to achieve the desired objectives of peace in Afghanistan.

It is high time that peace is given a chance by way of an all Afghan-led and Afghan-owned solution. No one-man show can ever guarantee durable peace. And the Afghans have made enough sacrifices over the last two decades

US President Joe Biden has already announced that foreign troops will have exited Afghanistan by as early as next month.

Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa have repeatedly advocated an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while addressing the ninth Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) in Tajikistan back in March noted: “No other nation could claim to have such immutable bonds with Afghanistan and thus be more desirous of peace in Afghanistan than Pakistan.”

Despite recognising this country’s contributions to the peace process, the US leadership has occasionally let hostile remarks rip. Former US president Donald Trump once tweeted that Pakistan gives safe-haven to the terrorists. Prime Minister Imran Khan responded in kind, pointing out that the US could not blame Pakistan for the American failure in Afghanistan. Especially when it had spent trillions ($2.26 trillion to date) in trying to win this unwinnable war; not to mention the fact that more than 100,000 NATO soldiers over 250,000 Afghan soldiers were in the country. The Pakistan Army chief also reminded that Islamabad had not only done a lot to bring peace to Afghanistan, but had also suffered enormously, too.

A peaceful Afghanistan not only benefits Pakistan but the entire region. CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) provides not only trade transit opportunities to Beijing and Islamabad — it has the potential to include Kabul and the Central Asia Republics (CARs) as well. But this will only happen if peace returns to Afghanistan.

India, too, has its stakes in Afghanistan and a stable Af-Pak border is not in New Delhi’s interests. Pakistan, for its part, is concerned about Indian influence in Afghanistan. It has time and again pointed out RAW’s involvement in the country but the Kabul government refuses to pay any heed.

Then there is the fact that Pakistan has been hosting a large number of Afghan refugees ever since the Soviet invasion of Kabul in 1979. Indeed, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has time and again praised Pakistan for its hospitality.

A lot more can be written on the subject as there are 34 provinces and more than 400 districts in Afghanistan; a country known as the graveyard of empires. But for now, it is high time that peace is given a chance there by way of an all Afghan-led and Afghan-owned solution. No one-man show can ever guarantee durable peace. The Afghans have made enough sacrifices over the last two decades.

The writer s Lahore-based freelance journalist and retired Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan. He can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com