Azhar Hassan

The recent occupation of Bakwa, a district of the province of Farah, following the capture of ‘Qila Moosa’ by Taliban has added considerably to the concerns of US and NATO as it is being termed as a ‘great danger’ for them. Surprisingly, US Defense Minister, Roberts Gates, made two visits to Pakistan during the last one month with an aim to ratchet up pressure on Pakistan regarding the growing activities of Taliban in Afghanistan and seek its support to control them.
US media also has been constantly disseminating such reports in which Pakistan has been held responsible for the growing activities of Taliban.  Pakistan, despite categorically refuting these reports, has been repetitively asked by US ‘to do more’ for the establishment of peace in Afghanistan. Although independent sources have, over and over again, confirmed the perception that Taliban themselves are playing the key role in the ongoing militancy in Afghanistan, the US and Afghan government have constantly been demanding of Pakistan to rein in Taliban- an element which they themselves could not suppress despite resorting to the mass massacre of the Afghan people and having state-of-the art weaponry. It is a sort of demand that cannot be considered fair by any sane person.
US intend to have a prolonged stay in Afghanistan. Therefore, it is exerting pressure on Pakistan to use it to sabotage the movement of Taliban. US interest in Afghanistan can be gauged from its intention to deploy 10,000 more troops in Afghanistan and the appointment of 173 air-borne brigade has been made as the first phase of this plan. US interest in Afghanistan can also be determined from the contents of the report that suggests US and allied forces should seek the support and sympathies of Afghan people by addressing their problems to counter the Taliban’s growing influence. The report has been issued by an organization that has its network in London, Brussels, Paris and Kabul and it advises the US to ensure the involvement of Afghan people in the activities of the allied forces and face the Taliban with the help of local population. It also recommends that the financial support being extended to Taliban be hindered.
Anyhow, whatever the circumstances, it is an incontrovertible fact that Afghans have never tolerated the occupation of any foreign power on their land and, sooner or later, forced it out. What is lacking at present to do the same- expulsion of the foreigners- is the unity among the different factions of Afghan people. However, it is quite relieving, though unbelievable, that the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, at long last, recognizing the importance of unity and harmony, has met with a delegation of Taliban at a secret place in a bid to evolve consensus with the annoyed group. The occurrence of the meeting cannot be questioned as Hamid Karzai himself admitted that he had had a meeting with a delegation of Taliban and called this meeting a vital step towards understanding and reconciliation. He said that Taliban were the inhabitants of Afghanistan and had a right on peaceful life, power and authority in their country. Therefore, he said: ‘we are ready to give privileges of every type to Taliban but the foreign militants confronting with Afghan and allied forces will not be forgiven’.
       The process of understanding, consensus and reconciliation, initiated by Hamid Karzai through his meeting with Taliban, is the most important step taken in the last 29 years of Afghan history. The intellectuals observe that the history of Afghanistan has been a ‘checkered history’ since the termination of monarchy by Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1747 and Afghanistan has never been stable since then due to a ceaseless civil war in the country. Afghanistan is at a very critical point of its history at present. This country would be enslaved by US for the next hundred years also if the civil war going in it does no come to an end. Any country that has won freedom from a foreign occupation has won it through unity, consensus, solidarity and brotherhood. The Afghan people as they are at present-divided into different faction like Taliban afghan, Northern Alliance, Pukhtoon, Shiite and Sunni- cannot drive out the foreign forces from their territory. The intensity of civil war in Afghanistan is directly proportional to the stability of occupation forces there. Therefore, the US leadership, NATO commanders and other US allies do not approve of the mutual dialogue of the Afghan people and their efforts to forge unity and unanimity among their countrymen. Last month Gulbadin Hikmatyar-head of Hizb-e-Islami- also hinted at his support to the efforts which are made for the reconciliation and unity of different Afghan factions. Now Taliban and Hamid Karzai have expressed their readiness for mutual dialogue, understanding and reconciliation. This indicates that the Afghan leadership, after 29 years of war and confrontation, has now decided to go ahead with prudence, discretion and good sense instead of ignorance and short-sightedness. Had peace been established in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of soviet troops in 1990, US occupation of Afghanistan would not have been possible. Foreign occupiers can be ejected even today if the Afghans learn to tolerate each other and live in harmony with one another. Hamid Karzai’s continued negotiations with Taliban can soon pave the way for the withdrawal of the occupying forces from Afghanistan and make Afghanistan a thriving and prosperous country. The essence of the matter is that all, including Karzai, Northern Alliance, Dostam militia, Hazarah Alliance and Taliban, are the citizens of Afghanistan having a right on Afghanistan whereas the Allied and NATO forces are usurpers having an illegitimate occupation on the territory of others. So, there can be no better strategy than the mutual unity and unanimity of the Afghan people to throw out the foreign invaders.