I HAVE have been in Afghanistan since 2003 and have done 19 projects in Kunduz between 2004 and 2011.

Columnist Zahid Hussain’s claim that the Kunduz offensive has a link with the Pakistani military offensive in North Waziristan is flawed and has no connection with reality.

The Kunduz attack was launched by the Hikmatyar group, which is a part of the Taliban confederation. Hikmatyar’s base is in Pakistan in Dir, Chitral and Peshawar and he enjoys cordial relations with the Pakistani state.

The Pakistani offensive in the NWA is against Pakistani Taliban — the TTP — which has absolutely no connection with the Afghan Taliban group that attacked Kunduz.

The distance between Kunduz and the NWA is plus 500km with the Hindukush range as high as 7000 metres in between. How on earth can any analyst link Kunduz attack with the Pakistani operation in the NWA? The failed part of this operation was the misconceived idea that it would draw in Dostum forces.This was a total failure. The Afghan National Army must be given credit for having retaken Kunduz .

Major (r) Agha Humayun Amin
Kabul

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2015

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