When Pigs Fly

This piece is corollary to “Cross border Terrorism: Enough is Enough”, which was published on  28  July 2019. In the CASA region, Afghanistan is never out of the news; sometimes for good but mostly for alarming reasons. The tumultuous history of  Afghanistan has seldom seen peace for a host of internal and external reasons. For well known geographical and anthropological rationality, modern Afghanistan has remained a battlefield for the big powers. Nevertheless, whenever the great game gave a respite, Afghans’ internal power play always ensued due to sub-nationalist, ethnic, sectarian, inter and intra-tribal feuds. Since 1947, main fallout whether because of foreign aggression or due to internal strife has been endured by Pakistan due to soft borders, misplaced ethnic affinity, misuse by religious/ sectarian cults, financial interests of powerful mafias running a parallel economy by exploitation of the most controversial Afghan Transit Trade; besides, indulgence in smuggling of drugs, weapons and even humans. With due deference to the brave and hardy common people of Afghanistan, the gladiators’ propensity to be readily available as hired-guns to the higher bidder has mostly kept the tribal society in a state of flux.

A quick recap is considered appropriate to keep the discussion in context. In 1979, American strategy to embroil former Soviet Union in Afghanistan by coercing KSA to provide petro-dollars and by inducing Pakistan to use military and intelligence services created “Taliban”, and so called Jihad was waged. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 making the US sole Superpower. Soon after that, the USA abandoned Taliban and Pakistan. However, only ten years later, as a new stratagem, the controversial attacks in the USA on 9/11, 2001 happened, AQ/ OBL got the blame while hiding in Afghanistan. USA invaded Afghanistan in 2001 along with more than 60 countries coalition including NATO and ISAF and it continued to bleed Afghanistan and Pakistan till 2021; when America found it convenient to abandon Afghanistan, purposefully leaving behind large quantity of military hardware and military bases, which enabled the Taliban factions to take control of the Afghanistan. Sadly, Pakistan without being a funnel for flow of petrodollars, quickly lost its value to unelected Afghan Taliban as controversial rulers, who without any qualms of conscience knocked on New Delhi’s doors as a new money provider for the services that are bleeding Pakistan from the Western Front with greater intensity since 2022. While Afghanistan was still under invasion, US and allies assailed and pulverised whole of Middle East including Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria; from 2023 till to date, the said coalition helped Israel to annihilate Gaza with genocide of thousands of innocent people, which continues despite farcical peace plan brought about by the very perpetrators. At present, the dream of greater Israel and acceptance of Abraham accord by coerced, enervated and meek though extremely rich Muslim countries is finally taking place with so called “Axis of Resistance” no longer visible having served its purpose. Ironically, POTUS gets sycophant recommendations by Muslim leadership for the Nobel Peace prize. Mind boggling events! Isn’t it?

From 2001 to 2021, Pakistan was coerced to cooperate with the USA under immense pressure  and was throughout blamed for duplicity as Pakistan continued to provide safe and comfortable boarding and lodging to the Taliban leadership while hosting millions of Afghans for decades. Pakistan played a key role in enabling the Taliban to sit on the negotiation table with the USA, Russia and China; however, it turned out to be counter productive as always. Indian cunning  security adviser Ajit Doval was quick to outbid Pakistan, besides exploiting the so called India based Deobandi nexus with Taliban; and use Afghan soil and hired guns named TTP/ TTA/BLA/BRA etc, turned against Pakistan and creating havoc especially in the provinces of KPK and Balochistan. Pakistan’s long awaited effective military punch was delivered to strike the terrorists’ safe-havens in Afghanistan a few days ago; yet, it was too early to accept a dialogue request with the controversial Afghan interim set up and that too on an exposed foreign soil like Qatar which was bombed by Israel a couple of months ago; subsequently panicked KSA signed a Defence Agreement with Nuclear Armed and strongest Armed Forces holder Pakistan.

Since 1948, Afghanistan has ceaselessly hurt Pakistan including killing of two Prime Ministers at the same place in Rawalpindi. Millions of Afghans living in Pakistan for decades have plagued Pakistan with drugs, weapons, terrorism and lawlessness. The hardening of the Pakistan-Afghanistan International border has been realised by great sacrifices by our brave soldiers in uniform, and at an extraordinary human, social and economic cost, which needs further solidification to make it inviolable. Confronted with snakes in the East, scorpions in the West and hyenas pouncing on and off from our South-West frontiers, demand impregnable international frontiers and turn it into an extremely deadly affair for the violators with enviable Pakistan’s military capabilities. With Chinese-like firm faces, Pakistan’s leadership needs to bury the useless cliches of Muslim brotherhood, friendship, and neighbourhood etc and talk purely in terms of national interest, which is the comprehensive security and well-being of Pakistani people. One should expect loyalty and friendship from Afghan rulers, only when pigs fly!