Daily Times

It is not the present but the past that mars Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship. The baggage of 1980s and 1990s Pakistani policies has not allowed it to create a favourable environment in Afghanistan. On the other side, there are several misperceptions as well as concerns, which do not allow Afghanistan to deepen its relationship with Pakistan in particular, and with other neighbouring countries in general. For instance, former ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, Jannan Mosazai once noted, “Muhammad Daud Khan, former president of Afghanistan, had sent his junior officers to the former Soviet Union for training. Later, those officers who were trained in the former Soviet Union carried out the coup. Therefore, Afghanistan’s present security policy strategists are reluctant to send their troops for training or expand cooperation in the field of training or equipping the Afghan National Security Forces with countries bordering Afghanistan like Iran, Pakistan and Uzbekistan etc.”

There are various challenges between the two countries. For instance, government of Afghanistan has concerns about the treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Although Pakistan is hosting more than 2.5 million Afghan refugees, however, government of Afghanistan accuses that since December 2014 Pakistani government is persistently accusing Afghan refugees of terrorist activities. On the other hand, Pakistani government have, time and again, shared information about negative activities of some Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Moreover, government of Afghanistan has, repeatedly, shown concerns over the implementation of the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA). Over the years, implementation on the agreement has become a bone of contention between the two states. In this regard, Afghan government wishes that section nine, article 33 of ATTA, which deals with ‘National Treatment’ should be implemented in true letter and spirit.

However, such challenges have been created due to lack of contact. These challenges could be resolved through frequent official interaction with each other. The role of an external factor in disturbing the bilateral relationship cannot be ruled out. Pakistan’s government has been officially expressing its serious concerns regarding the alleged Indian activities and endeavours along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier. Its allegations concerning India include charges of printing forged Pakistani currency and operations involving acts of terrorism and sabotage on Pakistan’s territory. Pakistan has been accusing India of establishing networks of terrorist training camps located in various cities of Afghanistan, including at the Afghan military base of Qushila Jadid, north of Kabul; near Gereshk, in southern Helmand province; in the Panjshir Valley, northeast of Kabul; and at Kahak and Hassan Killies in western Nimruz province of Afghanistan. Pakistan believes that these Indian consulate offices in Afghanistan are involved in a conspiracy against Pakistan’s provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas to sabotage peace and process of development in these regions.

In the backdrop of an external actor’s role, government of Afghanistan should ensure that it would not allow any other country to use Afghanistan’s soil against Pakistan. Afghan government should welcome Pakistan in infrastructural development efforts. The Afghan government had contracted India for the construction of Afghan parliament and the Presidential Palace in Kabul. Government of Afghanistan should also invite Pakistani investors to construct other important buildings such as the Afghan Supreme Court and Planning Commission of Afghanistan, etc. This invitation would help to establish not only people-to-people contact but also serve as a goodwill gesture.

Government of Afghanistan is interested in the growth of iron ore industry. India has shown great interest in exploration of iron ore. Government of Afghanistan should also welcome Pakistan’s investment in this sector as well as in others. Although the Durand Line was an historic issue, the Afghan government proposed in 2015 to make this issue irrelevant in order to promote trade activities and to increase people-to-people contact across the border. However, there should be a written agreement between the two countries on the solution of this longstanding dispute.

To conclude, dynamics of Afghan society have been changed since 2001, and therefore, both countries should not see each other through a security lens alone. Pakistan and India should broaden its relations, based on shared economic interests.

The writer is a PhD scholar and works at the IPRI