Afghanistan: from strategic asset to strategic Headache...

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Salma Soomro
Hyderabad: 15 Jan 2023: Afghanistan went from being strategic asset to becoming a strategic headache for Pakistan.
There is no denying from the fact that stable Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan. No matter what we say, Any sort of change in their politics, demographics, and Government left impacts on Pakistan.
Because, Pakistan shares the longest border 2670 k.m with Afghanistan. Unfortunately, despite being brothers of faith both states have not been in cordial ties with each other. We must admits that Pakistan's soft clout in diplomacy is not as strong, as our neighboring country India, and for decades our Afghanistan's policy remained fruitless and a liability on Pakistan. Afghan Taliban and TTP both are nothing less than a monster. They have the innocent blood of army public school on their hands. After the USA's withdrawal from Afghanistan, TTP is getting stronger there.
Their hold in Afghanistan is worrisome for Pakistan too , because we should not forget that they are the same that has reached at Kohat in 2009, and were all set to control the Capital territory of Islamabad. They are the same that have attacked Mehran Airbase, Army public schools, hotels, Mosques, Imam Bargah, and every other religious place; where peace and interfaith harmony once thrived. They are the harbinger of Blood, chaos and Anarchy.
Taliban again appeared in Oct 2022 in swat, attacking school vans and girls' education ,"Old habits die hard" . Local people organized a protest in large numbers in October 2022.
This happened because the Taliban ended their ceasefire in Nov 2022. After a month they showed what sort of intentions they have; started killing and attacking innocent people. A week \ two ago another shameful incident occurred where BANNU CTD officials were hijacked. CTD's task is to counter terrorism, whereas they are falling prey. After the hijacking the extremists upload videos of the officials, to celebrate victory and their upper hand.
Although after two days they were released. But this act poses a security threat.
For almost a decade we sold fake idea of good and bad Taliban. Whereas, their track record proved that they are nothing but bad, and thirsty for blood.
In the words of Friedric Nietzsche; it’s better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured.
Our policy has long been faulty; it supported oppressive regimes there, and as a result of common people of Afghan started to develop hate against Pakistan. In Cricket matches Pakistani teams and supporters witnessed that slagging.
Obscure state affairs are no more relevant in the current world, whereas the Kabul talks in 2022 by then that official were held in secrecy, even the Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto was not briefed, and parliament floor was not used. Things went obscure. The state has a law that obscurantism can't be used anymore because Pakistan is a democracy, and the Parliament floor holds the dignity and power to discuss the talks of national interest.
The Parliament floor was ignored to some extent, and suddenly, extremists start showing up in the Swat Valley, all the political parties of KPK organized protests and demanded to restore peace in Swat valley. Political parties are stake holders, if they are protesting on the roads then what would be the condition of a common man, when he sees the Extremists roaming on roads and attacking the girl's school van etc?
According to UNCRC after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021, 90 thousand Asylum seekers entered Pakistan; already there are 1.4 to 1.5 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. Due to our decade-old faulty policies, Pakistan's economy is at stake, and tribal lives, peace, and international image are at stake.
We as a nation on political fronts must admit that there has never been any good or bad Taliban, all are bad, categorically defined by all possible assertions and all possible estimates that they are not a force for good.
It is better to get ourselves out of the fallacies that America lost and Afghanistan win; The situation in Afghanistan is worse, poverty has reached the highest degree possible, and common Afghani people are slitting their throats to avail the piece of bread. And the one USA considered as looser in Afghanistan is leading the world.
Is this what winning looks like?
Why Pakistan doesn't openly attack all the hideouts of TTP in Afghanistan?
TTA aka Afghan Taliban has provided safe space to 600 TTP militants there. All of these TTP are nothing less than a ticking bomb for Pakistan. Because they have a government of their like minded people on that side of the border, they will bring terrorism and ammunition, and again you will witness the late 80s flavor of extremism. The presence of Khurasan in Afghanistan proved it a threat or challenging force to cope with, for Afghan Taliban. They are a real threat to TTA, if Afghan Taliban helped our authorities to completely remove TTP, then there are chances that TTP might make a nexus with Khurasan. And the region could witness more blood.

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