Daily Times

It is not alarming to see that the United States (US) media and its think tanks are criticizing Pakistan for the affairs of Afghanistan. Different think tanks including the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) are criticizing Pakistan for its failures in Afghanistan. This propaganda is nothing new and there is no need to worry about it. It was quite normal and I was expecting it a long ago even before the fall of Kabul at the hands of the Taliban. It is a reality that the Taliban defeated a superpower of this century with very few resources in their hands.

It wasn’t surprising for me when I read the criticism of the US think tank on Pakistan in the ongoing scenario of Afghanistan. Just remember the pictures that went viral on social media when the Taliban took over Kabul last year. The Taliban fighters were seen in ordinary dresses while a US soldier was dressed up in a proper military uniform with the complete gear of war. There was a huge difference in the cost between what a Taliban fighter was wearing and what a US soldier had. The US was spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan with a huge deployment of soldiers there. But, what happened in Afghanistan? History has witnessed that the Taliban defeated all the western powers with very limited resources. So, the reaction of these think tanks is quite normal because they lost a war here even after spending billions of dollars.

It was Pakistan that played the key role in Doha Talks held between the US and Afghan Taliban.

It was quite obvious that the western media will blame Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan. Now, they are trying to damage the repute of Pakistan through their negative propaganda and putting the onus on us. Attempts are being made by the western world to hold Pakistan responsible for the Afghan fiasco. But the story is altogether different and every sane mind believes that Pakistan is the country that always played its role in bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. Pakistan is an important and responsible regional player and it knows its worth too. Just have a look at the maiden visit of Pakistan’s new Foreign Minister to the United States. He was warmly welcomed there because the US knows very well the significance of Pakistan in the region. It was Pakistan that played the key role in Doha Talks that took place between the US and the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan prepared and convinced the Afghan Taliban to sit with the US at the negotiating table which ultimately paved the way for the US exit from the Afghan land. It is also a matter of fact that US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad first used to land in Islamabad before going to Kabul. He was an eyewitness to the Doha Talks and therefore he was very well aware of Pakistan’s role in signing that historical document.

Pakistan paid a heavy cost of this war on terror that had severely hit this region. We sacrificed our soldiers, our mothers lost their children and our economy was shattered due to this war. It will be remembered in world history that our nation showed great resilience in bringing peace to the region. Our Generals fought on the front lines in the difficult mountainous terrains to defeat the hidden enemy but never compromised on the principles. Many proxies were fighting on this toughest battlefield including India only to harm Pakistan. India did a huge investment in Afghanistan only in the hatred of Pakistan but still, India was the biggest loser in this whole saga of Afghanistan. When the Taliban took over Kabul, the staff of the Indian embassy fled in the darkness of night in utter embarrassment. It was a humiliating defeat for India in the region. Similarly, Ashraf Ghani left his nation alone and fled from Afghanistan just like a loser. Even during the Afghan turmoil and absolute chaos, Ghani was found fleeing his country with huge bags of US dollars. What a shame it was.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long history and a border spanning hundreds of kilometres. The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan also share a close bond knitted with a rich legacy, culture and civilization. There are hundreds of people who cross the border between the two countries on daily basis. A large number of Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan for decades which shows the hospitality of Pakistan towards its neighbours.

The Taliban of new Afghanistan seems to be changing. Just have a look at the story of a foreign journalist Charlotte Bellis. She was a journalist associated with Al-Jazeera. She got pregnant with her boyfriend and couldn’t go to her native country due to COVID restrictions but the Taliban allowed her to live in Afghanistan. That whole episode highlighted the capacity of the Taliban government to meet the western demands for women’s rights and education. The Afghan government alone is unable to run the education and health sectors after the withdrawal of international forces and the stoppage of funds.

It is need of the hour that the international community should step forward to help the Afghan community just on humanitarian grounds. Earlier, Afghan surprised millions of people by defeating the western powers in their land and now they are also surprising the western powers by respecting basic human rights.

So, instead of blaming Pakistan, the western powers should engage with the Taliban and appreciate the peace efforts of Pakistan. Pakistan is playing a positive role in Afghanistan based on the principle of humanity but it is being portrayed negatively by the spoilers and miscreants.

The writer is an old Aitchisonian who believes in freedom of expression, a freelance columnist, entrepreneur and social activist.