KARACHI: Kabul should not let past hinder ties with Islamabad
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Jan 3: Former foreign minister Sahabzada Yakub Khan said on Thursday that it would be a great mistake for Afghanistan to build its future relations with Pakistan and others on the scars of the past wounds.
Addressing the English-Speaking Union on “Afghanistan — what next?,” Mr. Khan emphasised the imperative for Afghanistan to understand Pakistan and its relations with Islamabad.
He dealt at length on the complete transformation the world had experienced since Sept 11 incident which had impinged upon all aspects of life around the globe.
He was of the view that it had globalisation in reverse because it had shaken the foundations on which the economies of the developed countries rested.
Relating the Sept 11 incident with Afghanistan, Sahabzada Yakub Khan said as a result of the Bonn settlement, an interim government had been ushered in and after 20 years a regime which enjoyed support of the international community had come into being. A road-map for the future government had been provided at Bonn.
He said that there was a possibility now of the return of refugees and possibility of relations based on non-interference.
Giving the history of Afghanistan, Sahabzada Yakub Khan noted that in the country-side of Afghanistan warlordism continued and tension was bound to persist as a result of the conflict with the centre.
He said in a country where infrastructure had been demolished, the influx resulting from the return of refugees would also create a tremendous pressure on the Afghan government.
The question of how and where the aid was to be funnelled in such a situation and if it could also create difficulties, he was of the view that in such a situation neighbouring countries would be tempted to use their influence. But due to the natural tendency of suspicion among the Afghan people, these factors would make things difficult for the government when the honeymoon was over.
Sahabzada Yakub Khan also spoke about the weakness in the Bonn accord. Most important, he said, was the long time envisaged for the Loya Jirga after two-and-a-half years.
He said this was a long period during which any incident could destabilise the government and the process in Afghanistan. He believed that this issue should have been addressed earlier than stipulated, to ensure stability in that country.
Sahabzada also referred to three U-turns in less than 48 hours of the attack on twin towers in New York following which adversaries became friends and vice versa. In this context, he referred to US relations with Russia, Putin’s support for the Northern Alliance and Pakistan’s abdication of the Taliban. If there was no disengagement, there would be another U-turn, he said.
He believed that on the basis of these three U-turns, the edifice of Bonn settlement was built.
He said though Pakistan did not enjoy favours with the present regime in Kabul because of its support for the Taliban and also due to some efforts of the Indians, yet if “we show transparency and resist the temptation of interfering, the Afghans, being a landlocked country, would realise the importance of relations with Pakistan”.
He said a new great game had started and the 150 years of history of Afghanistan, when it served as a buffer between two imperial powers, had undergone a radical change.
The influence in and about Afghanistan would influence the exploitation of gas and oil in the Caspian basin. He also referred to the impact the pipelines would have on the region and beyond. He also hinted at the centrifugal impact the new great game could have in a bid to isolate China and Iran and to create new realities.
He said in the given situation, Afghanistan stood either on the brink of a new nation opening economically and good relations with the neighbours or its stand on the brink of another round of anarchy, drugs and arms trafficking, which would have an impact on Pakistan.
Replying to a question, he conceded that in the present interim setup in Afghanistan, Pushtoons were not adequately represented.
He said the Pushtoons were on the rough edge of military action in Afghanistan not because they were supporters of the Taliban. Sympathy of Pushtoon for Pushtoon was very important, he said.
Earlier, ESU, Bayram D. Avari welcomed the former foreign minister.
