PESHAWAR: Reconstruction, peace in Afghanistan urged
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Dec 6: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah said on Wednesday that bringing normalcy to Afghanistan is a gigantic task and the international community should work to ensure durable peace there.
Talking to a six-member delegation, led by European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Paul Nielson, at the governor’s house, he said that in the past there had been infighting because of absence of a strong central authority in Afghanistan. Finance Minister Farid Rehman was also present.
The governor said that the international community must have to work together for a just political dispensation in Afghanistan that must be broad-based ensuring representation to all ethnic groups on the basis of their demographic composition. He expressed the hope that the approach would go a long way in bringing peace and normalcy.
Simultaneously, the international community must have to strive hard for the reconstruction of Afghanistan to set in motion the repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland, he said. He apprehended that “any knee-jerk action” depriving any ethnic group of its due representation in the future political dispensation in Afghanistan would be self defeating and it might create the same situation that existed in 1996.
The governor said that for a durable peace in Afghanistan it was inevitable to ensure political stability and create social reconciliation amongst ethnic groups. He said though there was an international coalition fighting against terrorism in Afghanistan, any laxity in the future political process for the country would lead to endless infighting and bickerings among ethnic groups.
Consequently, this might take the shape of a war between the Pakhtoons and non-Pakhtoons, he warned. He said that if such a situation arose, it might put the region in an instable position.
He said this part of the world was one of the most sensitive areas because the same Pakhtoon tribes resided on both sides of the geographical divide. He said the people of this belt had similar thinking, perception, customs and traditions.
The governor said that the Pakhtoons must have their due share in the political dispensation in Afghanistan.
The governor said that Pakistan had always come up to the expectations of the international community. He said the international community had created the problem but Pakistan was a front line state in the first phase and again it was sincerely fulfilling its international obligations in the second phase.
He said that earlier, after the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, Pakistan was left in the lurch to bear the brunt of the refugees problem.
If the same situation emerged again it would create a vacuum which would destabilize the region and have a negative impact at international level, he said.
He said it was in the interest of the international community to keep its interest in this part of the world and focus its attention on the resolution of unfolding problems.
He said Pakistan had always backed the people of Afghanistan, preferred to establish relations with them and accepted their will.
He said refuge had been given to more than two million Afghan refugees in the NWFP, which had put the social delivery system under tremendous pressure.
He said the economy was in a shambles and the law and order situation was deteriorating as the refugees had put burden on social sectors of the province.
He said the NWFP government was working on emergency basis to restore and rejuvenate the infrastructure eroded by the huge influx of Afghan refugees. The governor said that any relief activity for the Afghans should be carried out inside Afghanistan to check the influx of refugees into Pakistan. After repatriation, the Afghans would participate in the reconstruction of their country, he said.
He said the international community must work for a suitable political power representing all ethnicities and start the reconstruction of Afghanistan. He said the process of bringing peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan should go simultaneously as it would remove the doubts and apprehensions of the Afghans and restore their confidence.
He said the process of relief measures needed to be accelerated.
The governor said the NWFP was a front line province in the front line country in the war against terrorism and the international community must keep it in mind.
Mr Nielson said the European Community shared the concern of the NWFP government.
He said the development process and aid on humanitarian grounds were different. He assured that the community would wish for a “partnership approach” with the government and would allay the apprehensions of the people of Pakistan.
He assured full support to the government in its efforts to rejuvenate the infrastructure eroded due to the Afghan refugees.
He also appreciated the efforts of the government for the relief extended to the refugees.
He assured that the international community would not leave the people of this part of the world alone at this critical juncture of their history.
