KASUR, March 8: Former foreign minister Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali says the US and allies reliance on Northern Alliance to control Kabul is a major problem affecting Afghanistan.

“US and allies policy has created an ethnic imbalance to the detriment of the Pukhtuns who are about 60 per cent of the population and have a historic claim to rule Afghanistan,” he told Dawn on Thursday.

According to him, Northern Alliance consisted of Tajik, Turkmen and Hazara ethnic elements, whereas the former Kabul government of Taliban was really a Pukhtun dominated one.

“Now, since many years, the ISAF military contingent has been targeting the Pukhtuns who feel left out of the power-structure. The Taliban movement is really a movement of Pukhtun ethnic aspirations. Hamid Karzai, though a Pukhtun, is considered a titular head of state with nominal authority. All security and state institutions are dominated by Northern Alliance. Karzai used the flood of aid money to buy loyalties of former commanders, who are hugely unpopular among the Afghan people because they have blood on their hands. Consequently, the pace of reconstruction of the destroyed infra-structure is very slow,” Assef said.

About the Afghan unrest blame on Pakistan, he said that the Taliban used their tribal support, perhaps money, manpower and logistics from this side of the border. The entire territory along the Durand Line in Pakistan is tribal territory under the law and constitution. As a successor state to the British Raj, Pakistan inherited all the tribal treaties. Pakistan under those treaties has to respect tribal autonomy and rights, and tribes have to meet their lawful obligations. The trouble arose because of foreign fighters presence in FATA. Under the Shakai Jirga, he said, a settlement was reached. “To the best of my understanding, it was violated by the Peshawar corps commander. This resulted in a failed military action. The government soon realised its blunder and governor Orakzai successfully signed a deal with the tribes, as a result of which troops were withdrawn. But this withdrawal gave some breathing space to those tribes who had soft cornor for the Taliban. The result is that the Taliban activity has increased dramatically in Afghanistan. The ISAF is now fearful of the spring offensive. So the blame game on Pakistan has started.”

About pressure on Pakistan to do more, the former foreign minister said the US and allies wanted the Durand Line to become like the Isreali-Palastinian wall. They wanted Musharraf to use extreme force in an area stretching 1600 miles over one of the most difficult terrains in the world. The Pakistan army, according to him, could not effectively control such a vast territory inhabited by battle-hardened tribes. “ISAF fires missiles and drones on Damdola and Bajaur, but Musharraf takes the blame. I think while Musharraf needs to reign in elements of his establishment who tacitly support the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan, it is America who needs to do more.”

About option for Pakistan, Assef said Musharraf should renegotiate with the FATA tribes. “But lets not forget, generals are not trained for negotiations. Only a popularly elected government can successfully re-negotiate an agreement with the tribes to bring peace to FATA. “The Durand Line territory cannot be controlled militarily. Only through prudent politics can it be pacified. Musharraf is not the right man for prudence.”

He said the US should correct the ethnic imbalance in Afghanistan’s security and administrative structure. If Pukhtuns get a slice of 60pc of the government and state apparatus, their grievance will be largely removed. This can be done through direct negotiations with the Taliban who today represent entirely the Pukhtun aspiration. “This is the only way. Of course, ISAF must do more to man the Afghan side of Durand Line. USA must stop or control corruption in Afghanistan and spend far more on its reconstruction. America spends billions on wars and killings, why not spend on life?”