EDITORIAL : THE DAILY OUTLOOK, AFGANISTAN

                  

 

Afghans Determined to Protect Democratic Order and Civil Society

After the fall of Taliban regime in late 2001, Afghanistan was able to write and approve a new constitution to establish an "order based on the people's will and democracy" and form a "civil society free from oppression, atrocity, discrimination and violence." Ten years later, this order and civil society are being threatened by the extremist militants that ideologically do not subscribe to such an "order" and "civil society" and want to impose their own ideology-driven and discriminate order and run the country based on their own pleasure, which serve foreign interests. But there appears to be a strong will among Afghan people to protect, safeguard and institutionalize the order and civil society. This is who Afghans are now.

In fact, this is because they do not want to return to the dark days of the past whose indicators were oppression, atrocity, discrimination, violence and violation of human rights. The death of Osama Bin Laden has provided a new opportunity for Afghan people and their international partners and allies to increase pressure on the Al-Qaeda-linked and affiliated militants here in Afghanistan. Although killing of Bin Laden is a turning-point in the fight against terrorism, more needs to be done to make sure that Afghanistan will not be used as safe haven for lunatic fringes once again, and to ensure Afghans that they will not be left alone again.

The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, in latest statement has said that the Taliban have one option- that is- to break with Al-Qaeda and join the peace process offered by Afghan government. Officials from NATO member states have said that their goal was not just to kill Osama Bin Laden but rather to build a strong democratic and peaceful prosperous Afghanistan. Internally, on Thursday, May 05, 2011, former chief of Afghan National Intelligence, Amrullah Saleh, asked President Hamid Karzai not to make a "false identity" for the Taliban militants and do not make peace a position of weakness. Both Afghan politicians and people believe that it is time to put more pressure on the Taliban to embrace an open society free from discrimination, violence and with justice for all. In fact, it is high time to turn the situation around. Any misstep at this critical juncture will have catastrophic consequences for Afghanistan and international community alike.

Shortcomings Need Recovery

Following international pressures on the Pakistani government to answer for
Osama's hiding near the capital Islamabad and in vicinity to the country's most
well-known military training academy, US congressmen discussed whether to revise the billions of dollars of aid to Pakistan. The idea was raised because the US officials believed Pakistan had not done enough to restrain extremism. The US administration has said they didn't share the intelligence with the Pakistani side and the operation to capture Al-Qaeda head inside Pakistan.

Subsequent to previous series of tense relations between the two strategic partners, the analysts believed that the declining cooperation and increasing distrust would seriously damage cooperation on the war against terrorism. It had led to the Pakistani military's demand on the United States to curb drone strikes and reduce the number of US spies operating in Pakistan, a sign of clearly edgy relations between the two allies.

Prior to the legendary operation against the September 11 Mastermind, in a blunt statement, the US military's top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, accused Pakistan's spy agency of having links with militants targeting troops in Afghanistan. He had said Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had a "long-standing relationship" with a militant group run by Afghan insurgent Jalaluddin Haqqani. However, afraid of the possible damage of cooperation between the two countries' intelligence agencies and the diplomatic ties, Mullen said U.S. and Pakistani leaders agree they cannot afford to let security ties unravel, even as he acknowledged persistent strains. The statement reveals the truth that Pakistan's role in fight against terrorism remains substantial despite the shortcomings seen earlier. The country's restive areas host groups of multinational terrorists, including Al-Qaeda. In a new statement, the US ambassador in Kabul, has asserted that the hotbed of terrorism and Al Qaeda strongholds lie beyond afghan borders.

Despite Pakistan's partnership with the US, there are grave shortcomings in the process that need to be remedied immediately. Osama Bin Laden's presence in Abbotabad has raised further international criticisms against the country and President Zardari's government. With militancy increasing in the region, a more precise scrutiny of the situation is required. US's call for further determined stance against the scourge of terrorism reveals the fact that every party in the war against terror owns a specific position in the process. They need to carry on struggles to collaboratively accomplish the mission. The world stands against terrorism and Pakistan should remain a close part of the process.

Violence in Baluchistan

Over the last nine years, the capital of Baluchistan province of Pakistan, Quetta considered one of the important hubs of Taliban and other groups of militants has gradually turned into violent place for its residents to live. This strategically important city is only around 250 km away from Kandahar province of Afghanistan. This makes Kandahar city, the used-to-be capital of Taliban's Afghanistan, the closest city to Quetta.

The loosely controlled Chaman-Boldak border crossing between Baluchistan and Kandahar largely facilitates the in and out movements of militants and smuggling of weapons and drugs. After the US intervention in Afghanistan in 2001, Taliban and their leaders in Kandahar and other southern provinces easily escaped to Baluchistan, mainly to the city of Quetta. Taliban's Quetta Shura is globally known. Taliban leaders, including Mullah Omar, are believed to have hidden in this city. Presence of Taliban in Quetta seems to have largely assisted other smaller groups of militants having similar ideologies as that of Taliban. Terrorists signal their power and influence in the city from time to time by launching attacks on government and people. Quetta is among the first cities that protested the killing of Osama last week and burned the images of US President Obama and the US flag.

The peaceful residents of this city are having no good days as militancy is multiplying at a fast pace and government is falling short to counter it. Target killings, suicide bombings and kidnappings have ruined the peace from the lives of people. The ethnic and religious minorities are particularly targeted. On Friday May 06, 2011, in early morning shooting and rocket attack, launched on Hazara community of Quetta, at least 10 people were killed and 15 others injured.

This is not first time, since 2002 hundreds of people including leaders, politicians and high ranking government officials belonging to the same community have been the victims of terrorism. The government of Pakistan has no achievement against this violence. The United Nations and human rights organizations have also kept mum, albeit the people have raised their voice time and again.
The government of Pakistan should do more to counter the growing militancy and extremism across Pakistan and assure security of all Pakistanis including minorities.