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Friend Snakes Foe
by
Mumtaz Hamid Rao
The
Afghan President Hamid Karzai comes out with a noxious
remark about his nations' benefactor—Pakistan.
A report from Kabul has aired an ‘assert’ from Karzai that 'his country would not tolerate—what he
pretends as Pakistan's 'aggressiveness'. At the same time, an ‘agile’ Karzai—who himself opted
Pakistan as his abode during the era of the defunct-Soviet foray of Afghanistan for his sanctuary
along with his people in millions—said that 'Afghanistan wanted better relations with Pakistan' yet
with an amazing comment that 'the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan should now be clear'.
Negating Afghan's time-honoured style of gratitude—for being the guests of Pakistan for decades,
backed by centuries-old rapport n’ affinity, affixed by religious bonds—a switched off Karzai
vowed—without listing any logic—even to the extent that "General Musharraf has deceived us".
By all parameters, Karzai’s tone and tenor is unwarranted and provocative. It’s unwarranted
because Pakistan has committed no aggression against Afghanistan. It has only moved its troops on its
own soil to the Pak-Afghan border to check the heinous activities of certain Afghan tribal leaders,
harbouring some Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives, who had concentrated there and were carrying out
attacks in Afghanistan.
The hullabaloo by certain Afghan elements against Pakistan’s
consolidation in the Yaqubi Kandao
area of the Mohmand Agency is, in fact, an attempt to mislead the Afghan Government and the world
community.
It’s provocative in view of Pakistan’s sacrifices for the well-being of the Afghan people. Is this
the reward for providing shelter and succour to three million Afghan refugees on its soil for about
three decades?
Pakistan has been devastated with political, cultural, demographic and economic pressure arising
out of the presence of such a large number of Afghan people on its soil for so long.
Kalashnikov and drug culture has practically overwhelmed the Pakistani society as a result of the
Afghan refugees. Besides, Pakistan is extending every possible help to the Afghan Government after
the Taliban regime to develop economic and administrative infrastructure. It has announced 100
million dollars as assistance for its rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Yet, ironically Pakistan is being threatened by no less a person than President Karzai, who was
perceived as a friend of Pakistan.
Even if, President Karzai is under pressure to do so from the Northern Alliance [whose
anti-Pakistan stance needs no explanation], Karzai as the head of the government could have eschewed
such a volcanic voice--in the interest of peace, security and stability of the region.
With the new setting, created by Karzai, one can simply be optimistic that he will be
mindful of the implications of such a 'crusade' and desists from such a course in times ahead.
Prima facie, Mr Karzai’s 'message, beamed to Islamabad' was reminiscent of the Indian leaders’
threats to Pakistan.
The avowal of Karzai coincides with yet another story from Kandhar—prima facie authentic, as it
catalogues even the names of a few potent aficionados of Karzai—manifests the by-now a tittle-tattle
that the 'ransacking of Pakistan's embassy in Kabul' was sponsored by the pro-government rudiments'.
Though Karzai was the first to tender categorical apology for the dicey course via his phonic contact
with Pakistan's President, General Pervez Musharraf, [which was graciously granted], his newest
posture—by all parameters of justice n' fair-play—sketches his deceitful state of mind vis-à-vis
Pakistan.
Instead of being beholden to the chivalrous n' cordial Pakistan, his distasteful n’ horrid
approach lifts eyebrows by a lot of pragmatic souls—even those of the Afghans still living in
millions on its soil—as liberally as a bona fide citizen of the sanctified soil—obviously with
mystification. Going by the index of some perfidious n’ shaky incidents—which took place recently—it
seems that the forces, hostile to peace in the South Asian region have amplified their antagonistic
crusade in a strapping style.
After a disgraceful defeat the world-over, explicitly before the solo super power—the United
States, such vile n’ repellent domains—like India has now set off a track by knocking the doors of
frail nations—with Karzai-led Kabul atop. Hence it is an apposite time for the Afghan
ruler-of-the-day to evaluate the realities by eschewing a course which would—eventually land his own
people in a state of discomfiture—both at home n' abroad—only due to an puerile outlook of those
steering the affairs of Afghanistan with the blessings of an alien coalition—a fact as clear as a
vibrant light of day.
We expect n' hope that not only that the Bush administration but concurrently the United Nations
shall take an instantaneous cognizance of Karzai's hottest outbursts. Virtually such an attitude
overtly portrays a signal [as venomous as one can visualize from the hard-nosed Taliban] to negate of
the US rhapsody to obliterate terrorism in its all forms n' manifestations to give to the globe a
lasting tranquil environ—specifically set in motion after the Nine/Eleven tragedies on the
marvelous
soils of the United State.
If such a tendency is not caged at-once, it will—in the long run—prove to be nothing less than a
full-size burst on the US policies on terrorism, which were straight away joined by a gallant
Musharraf-led Pakistan—against intense odds, depicting a hallmark of Pakistan's clear-cut resolve,
with love for peace n’ odium for brawls all-over.
If the US stalwarts kept tight-lipped on the issue, the day may be closer when such a 'message by
Karzai n' Abdullah Abdullah' is disseminated for Bush n' Blair as well. So its' an apposite time to
act—lest the cat comes out of the bag—with a buzz, igniting a horrendous course both for the US-led
rampant shots to end violence n’ terrorism peoples’ eagerness for a serene scenario all-over the
world atlas.
Simultaneously we look forward for a swift transform in the ‘ill-omened policy’ of Karzai-led
Afghan government—which will perceptibly try to distinguish between a friend n’ foe—if not to guard
the vital comfort of the heroic Afghans—at least for a classic shielding of the contemporary rule,
which has surfaced after decades of a perilous course, marked by manifold catastrophes. Let there be
no illusion that Afghanistan will be the greater loser in confrontation with Pakistan, the risky
impact of which shall--with all certainties--travel even beyond oceanic--posing perils to the global
peace n' tranquility with a magnitude--beyond ones mind's eye.
The author is a noted journalist, political analyst and ex-Director News Pakistan TV. He
is a regular
contributor to
Media Monitors Network (MMN).
Source:
by courtesy & © 2003 Mumtaz Hamid Rao
by the same
author:
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