A MERE few days are left before the amnesty ends for illegal immigrants in Pakistan; ‘illegal immigrants’ in this case being a euphemism for Afghan refugees. The time seems to be just about right to review our broader Afghan policy so that there may be some hope of better days ahead.

The sour diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan can be traced back to the independence of Pakistan when Afghanistan opposed Pakistan’s status as a member of the United Nations. However, things changed when the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) invaded Afghanistan, and, in reaction, Afghan mujahideen were armed and trained in Pakistan before being sent back to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets with the financial and technical support of the United States.

Later, following the 9/11 attacks and US-led invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan once again got involved in Afghanistan as the Taliban, nurtured by Pakistan, fought against Nato forces as well as the government in Kabul.

As the so-called ‘war on terror’ continued, Pakistani Taliban started waging a war on Pakistan to impose their style of governance in the country. There has been no turning back since.

Owing to our involvement in Afghan affairs for decades, we now face the tough energy-sapping task of dealing with Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been consistently attacking the security forces in tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as in Balochistan.

As things stand, TTP is a serious threat to Pakistan in terms of stability, development and prosperity. Pakistan has been trying to build better ties with the interim government in Kabul of Afghan Taliban, but the latter’s tilt towards India has greatly affected all such efforts.

However, despite facing this lingering diplomatic mess, Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan has been vague, to say the least. It is because of this lack of clarity that Pakistan faces one violent episode after another across the country. This is despite the fact that Pakistan is an important player in the region and the world community watches its every move for regional peace.

Despite enjoying strategically important position, Pakistan has failed to convert this advantage into some tangible benefit. In contrast, India, which does not share borders with Afghanistan, has maintained some level of influence over the Afghans, and has successfully played up the anti-Pakistan sentiment among particular segments in Afghanistan.

Pakistan will have national elections sooner or later, and whosoever comes to power must prepare a long-term roadmap to settle all possible issues with the neighbouring countries, especially Afghanistan. Islamabad must build an atmosphere of trust. It is time to learn the right lessons from history.

Shahab Baloch
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2023