by Ikram Sehgal
Is it a coincidence that within a few days
after three Uzbek / Tajik-looking terrorists attacked a Imambargah in
Quetta, killing 50 and injuring scores of others seriously, the Pakistan
Embassy in Kabul was ransacked by an armed mob of a thousand or so who
turned up “spontaneously” in trucks and buses for what clearly was an
“officially sponsored” riot? His belated regrets notwithstanding, one is
used to Abdullah Abdullah, the Tajik – origin Afghan Foreign Minister, and
his constant “companion” Omar Samad, spouting anti-Pakistan vituperatives
at every international forum conceivable, is it also a coincidence that
Hamid Karzai has only recently embarked on a scurrilous campaign to blame
Pakistan for his own government’s increasing failure at extending the
Afghan Government’s authority in any meaningful manner beyond Kabul? And
even while tendering his government’s apology, Karzai had some cheek
asking Musharraf to explain why the President remarked recently that
Karzai’s authority did not extend beyond Kabul, are we to understand that
warlords Ismail Khan in Herat and Rashid Dostum in Mazar-I-Sharif are very
much in Karzai’s control? For that matter, does Qanooni, the
Advisor-in-charge of Home Affairs, or Gen Fahim, Afghan Defence Minister,
really answer to his authority? When recently Karzai tried to rein in
Dostum by appointing him to an “advisory post” in Kabul, Dostum very
publicly declined. If it hadn’t been for the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul and the significant US military presence
in and around Kandahar and other Pashtun areas bordering Pakistan, Karzai
would not be able to enter Kabul, even with his US Government-supplied
bodyguard detail. Karzai should take Chou En Lai’s advice to Kissinger in
1971, “do not forget the bridge (meaning Pakistan) you have used once, you
may have to use it again”. Karzai’s family members still reside in Quetta
where they took refugee in the 80s, take my word, on the “revolving door”
concept he will also be back!.
Despite a very benevolent policy towards
Afghanistan, Pakistan has been very badly treated reciprocally. During the
Afghanistan war we were host to over 3 million refugees, about 500000 are
permanently settled in Pakistani urban areas and will never go back.
Nearly 2 million Afghan refugees are still present in some permanent
refugee camps / settlements in NWFP and Balochistan. The Kalashinkov and
drug culture symbolized our support in the Afghan war, they have now
become lesser evils in the face of terrorism that has become synonymous
with the image of Pakistan abroad. Our religiously idealistic young men
went to fight the Soviets in great numbers, these were fresh recruits from
the Madrassahs motivated by their religious leaders to go to the help of
Afghans, not out of love of money but out of love for their brethren in
Islam. And what did they get in return? The Afghan element among the
Talibaan force defending Kabul melted away at the approach of Northern
Alliance (mostly Tajik) troops, leaving a screen of Pakistanis within
Kabul. Almost to a man these Pakistanis were murdered cold in blood by the
Tajiks. In many cases the poor Pakistanis were made to lie down in drains
and than shot dead like dogs. Worse happened in Konduz, where a force of
8000 Talibaan led by Mullah Dadullah negotiated a surrender to “General“
Rashid Dostum commanding the “Jumbish Milli”, and Mullah Atta Mohammad of
the Northern Alliance. About a 1000 or so hardened fighters refused to
surrender and broke out, about 6000 (a majority of them Pakistanis) were
tricked into surrendering to Dostum by their leader Mullah Dadullah. There
is a Indian canard picked up by some in Pakistan that 6000 Pakistanis were
airlifted from Konduz overnight, even the US with all its aviation
resources would not be able to evacuate 300 in one night from the Konduz
airstrip in those circumstances. Almost all the Afghans, including Mullah
Dadullah, were given food and water (it was the month of Ramzan) by Dostum
and allowed to go off into the night. The Pakistanis paid the price for
their (Afghans) freedom. Arabs, Chechen and (mostly) Pakistanis were
packed into container trucks. On November 29, 2001 the first convoy of 13
trucks (each packed with about 150 prisoners) set out from Qala Zeini for
Shebergan. The next day another convoy of trucks came to Shebergan.
According to Newsweek’s eyewitness accounts, most were tied up like
cattle, this fate was specially reserved for Pakistanis. Many had already
died due to dehydration and suffocation, more than a 100 dead in some
containers, only 20 or 30 surviving. For 10 days containers with the dead
and dying kept coming to Shebergan from Konduz. The international Red
Cross representatives applied to see the “Qila Jangi” prison on Nov 29 but
were not given permission till Dec 10, 2001. On Nov 25 the famous “Qila
Jangi revolt” had taken place and the Dostum’s men did not want prying
eyes roaming around the area. Dostum’s militia blocked off an area close
to Shebergan called “Dasht-e-Lilli”, a half mile of so from the village
“Lab-e-Jar”. The dead were buried there, some say close to 1500, mostly
Pakistanis. With friends like these, who needs enemies? We need to say
“Fateha” in the Assemblies for the innocent misguided Pakistanis lying
dead and buried without trace in the desolate northern Afghan plains.
Most of the terrorism today
started during the Soviet presence in Afghanistan in the 80s decade when
the KGB-controlled Afghan intelligence agency KHAD (alongwith a great deal
of help from Indian RAW) exploded as many as 3000 bombs in the cities of
Pakistan, over 1000 in Karachi alone. Fugitives from Pakistan openly lived
in Afghanistan, well into Talibaan rule. Notorious killer Riaz Basra was
an honored guest till the Talibaan regime fell, despite many requests (and
even entreaties) by our Government he remained in gilded exile. Once
Kabul came under control of Tajiks, Qanooni exceeded all civilized bounds
when he airlifted about 125 Pakistani prisoners to New Delhi, some of them
(duly killed) have been used as “evidence” of terrorists attacking people
/ places in India e.g. the December 13 attack on Indian Parliament.
Somehow none of the so-called “Jihadis” ever survive to “tell the tale”.
We must take a few concrete steps with
respect to terminate the “black hole” that is Afghanistan viz (1) close
down all existing refugees camps / settlements by the end of this year,
let the international community funds camps within Afghanistan. (2) weed
out all Afghans who have settled in Pakistan in the urban areas and. send
them back to Afghanistan (3) no transit trade direct for Afghanistan
through Pakistan. All transit trade to be routed to our tribal areas from
where traders (tribals only) may open L/Cs in US dollars / Euros for
import of goods without payment of duty from abroad. They can re-send
these to Afghanistan against hard currency and a minimal import / export
tax (as in Dubai). Tribals must not re-ship these goods within Pakistan,
this way they can have permanent means of legitimate income by making
money out of trading with Afghanistan, not be forced into smuggling as a
livelihood (4) no Afghan vehicles to ply within Pakistan (5) no Afghan
leader to be allowed to keep his family in Pakistan and (6) move our
regular troops out of tribal territories and give back the protection of
the Durand Line to the tribals as the Quaid had promised. This gives us a
“buffer” of sorts and at the same time assuages Iran’s suspicions of our
long-term intentions in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is not yet a country, it
presently remains a cruel apology of a nation propped up by the west.
Afghanistan is also another example of our convoluted “Pakistan Last”
foreign policy. Afghans are conceivably the most ungrateful people in the
world. Simply put, we do not need Afghanistan or Karzai, they and he needs
us, in whatever order. It is high time we really put Pakistan’s interest
above all, a real “ Pakistan First” policy as the President has committed.
Mr. Ikram Sehgal is
Publisher and Managing Editor of Defence
Journal (Pakistan).
He contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from
Sindh, Pakistan.
Source:
by courtesy & © 2003 Ikram Sehgal
by the same author:
