NOVANEWS
By Sajjad Shaukat
Pakistan has always been in the forefront to share the pains of Afghan people, making sincere
efforts to resolve Afghan conundrum. Unfortunately, Afghan leaders, driven by overseas
propaganda and foreign plots have shown signs of mistrust and skepticism towards Pakistan.
In this regard, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, while ignoring the fact that Afghan Taliban are
fighting for the liberation of their country, followed the blame game of the external powers, and
have repeatedly accused Pakistan, its Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of facilitating
cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan.
In the recent past, President Karzai’s openly accused Islamabad of sponsoring a series of terrorist
attacks in Kabul, and of blocking his government from striking a peace deal with Taliban. While
interacting with US Secretary of State John Kerry through phone call, volumes of Karzai’s
negative mind-set against Pakistan was exposed. He not only brazenly pointed fingers towards
Pakistani spy agency ISI, but also asserted that he will not accept US arguments that it had no
influence “over countries that support terrorism,” rebuking that US refusal to go after ISI could
result into further hurting US relations with Afghanistan. Thus, he left no stone unturned in
implicating ISI in terrorist attacks duly claimed by Taliban.
But Karzai blatantly forgot that Pakistan accommodated three million Afghan refugees for more
than three decades; supported Afghan-led reconciliation process by facilitating opening of Doha
office, and release of Taliban prisoners on Afghan government’s request; conducted wide range
military operations to root out terrorists’ safe havens from its soil and followed a policy of non
favoritism and supported Afghanistan in socio-economic fields. Despite Islamabad’s positive
endeavors, Afghan government’s response has remained lukewarm and the spate of blame game
and anti-Pakistan narrative continues unabated.
It is notable that in the past few years, US top civil and military high officials have continuously
emphasizing Pakistan to ‘do more’ against the militancy in the tribal regions in order to stop
cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan. In this respect, by reviving US old blame game, US
Defence Secretary Leon Panetta allegedly said on June 7, 2012 that the US was reaching the
limits of its patience with Pakistan due to safe havens, “the country offered to insurgents in
neighboring Afghanistan.
However, Afghanistan has become part of the sinister designs of the US and India against
Pakistan. Therefore there are a number of aims of Afghan government’s accusations against
During his trip to India and Kabul, Leon Panetta also encouraged New Delhi on October 26,
2012, saying that India had vital role to play in Afghanistan and it would be helpful for peace
and stability in the region, adding, “Our new defence policy hinges upon this strategy.” The
US-led NATO has decided to keep around 12,000 troops in Afghanistan after the withdrawal
of NATO forces in December 2014. In fact, America seeks to obtain multiple strategic designs
by controlling the energy resources of Central Asia, and weakening Pakistan, China, Iran and
Facing defeat and having failed in coping with the Afghan Taliban and to pacify their public,
particularly, US has shifted the blame game towards Pakistan’s security agencies.
As regards the Afghan rulers, they have badly failed to control corruption, and implementing rule
of law in their country—therefore, Afghan accusations are baseless and are directed to divert the
attention of Afghan masses from core domestic political, economic and security issues. Afghan
authorities have found it convenient to shift the blame of their failed policies onto Pakistan.
And, international community and donors are averse to such malpractices of the Afghan
government, similarly also due to surge in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan which has become
one of the biggest contributors of drug proliferation.
In fact, there is a nexus of the Afghan government and media which have no independent
opinion, as their key state institutions are hostage to Indian advisors. Indian RAW has strong
nexus with Afghan security and intelligence agencies. Indian diplomatic missions also act as hub
of hostile covert activities.
It is mentionable that Afghanistan is responsible for terrorists’ penetration into Pakistan. Since
April, 2011, some 200 to 400 heavily-armed militants from Afghanistan’s side entered Pakistan’s
region, from time to time, and targeted the security check posts, civil and military infrastructure
of the tribal areas. So far, these terrorists have killed several personnel of Pakistan’s security
However, the way the Afghan militants are challenging a highly professional Pak Army is
enough to prove that with the tactical assistance of American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli
Mossad which have well-established their collective network in Afghanistan are fully backing
these cross-border incursions with a view to destabilizing Pakistan which is the only nuclear
country in the Islamic World.
While, Afghanistan has become a hub of anti-Pakistan activities from where these external secret
agencies are also sending logistic support to Baloch separatist elements to dismember Pakistan in
order to obtain the secret strategic designs of the US, India and Israel. Besides martyring several
personnel of security agencies in Balochistan, these foreign-backed entities kidnapped and
massacred many innocent people including teachers, lawyers, Hazara-Shias etc., and Chinese
Besides, with the cooperation of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Afghan intelligence-
National Directorate of Security (NDS), and with the tactical assistance of CIA and Israeli
Mossad, RAW has well-established anti-Pakistan espionage network in Afghanistan. For this
sinister move, a religious Madrassa of Wakhan, located in Afghanistan is functioning under
the patronage of Indian officials. It is being used for brainwashing of very young boys who are
Afghans and so-called Indian Muslims. Posing themselves as Pakistani Taliban, they have joined
the ranks and files of the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), Pakistan and other banned extremist outfits.
In the recent years, especially TTP’s insurgents and its affiliated banned groups conducted
many terror-activities like suicide attacks, ruthless beheadings of tribesmen, assaults on security
personnel and prominent figures including Shias, Ahmadis, Sufis, Christians and Sikhs. Besides,
terror-attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Karachi are part of the scheme to create
chaotic situation in the country.
In this context, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has repeatedly lodged a strong protest
with their counterparts in Afghanistan and NATO, saying that their forces were doing nothing
to check insurgents’ activities, based in the Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan. Afghan
government also refused to hand over Maulvi Fazlullah, leader of TTP and other militants who
have been conducting acts of sabotage in Pakistan.
Nevertheless, Afghan government is supporting TTP and Baloch Sub Nationalist elements on
its soil; it has allowed the country to become centre of terrorism by providing space not only
to terrorists, but also to hostile intelligence agencies including Indian RAW to implement their
nefarious agendas by abetting instability and terrorism in Pakistan.
Particularly, Afghan blame game could be judged from the fact that with the start of Pakistan’s
military Operation Zarb-e-Azb against the militants in North Wazirtan Agency, while playing
in hands of external powers, Afghan authorities have intensified their propaganda against
Pak Army and ISI for supporting insurgency, selective operations and cross-border attacks in
Afghanistan. The narrative not only scapegoats Pakistan for all Afghan failures, but also portrays
Pakistan’s security forces and intelligence agencies in bad light.
Nonetheless, despite Pakistan’s best efforts like support for Afghan reconciliation etc., Afghans
have failed to develop intra Afghan consensus. Afghan leaders have also forgotten their fellow
countrymen living in Pakistan as refugees. While, Pakistan’s positive gesture of releasing
Taliban prisoners on the request of Higher Peace Council of Afghanistan and its government was
initially recognized, but, afterwards, Afghan government indulged in venomous criticism against
Besides, the Afghan rulers are not serious in implementing strict border control mechanisms,
as they want to back terrorist activities in Pakistan, while blaming the former for cross-border
For the purpose, our own media must promote Pakistan’s sincere efforts to resolve Afghan
imbroglio. They must point out Pakistan’s earnest desire to develop friendly relations with
Afghanistan, based on mutual respect for sovereignty. Equally, there is a need to counter Afghan
propaganda, launched to defame Pakistan, tarnish image of Pak Army, and accusing ISI of
sponsoring terrorism. Media must also expose real designs behind Afghanistan’s accusations
against these security agencies.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
