Chakar The Great
SENIOR MEMBER
- Apr 25, 2018
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Now that US is withdrawing from Afghanistan after 17 years of killing and subjugation, Pakistan has to face all the mess that will be left behind. In the past we have seen how that changed Pakistani society and we ended up having suicide attacks every where in Pakistan by the remains of previous US adventures.
Some people believe that there is sense of fear among the Pakistani people and government concerning the US draw down of operations in neighboring Afghanistan, albeit fear from differing causes. Chief concerns include that a sudden withdrawal will lead to chaotic destabilization, which could spill over the border, or that even with a gradual draw down, image will be that the Taliban is winning- a dangerous notion for Pakistan which has its own Taliban groups. Finally, others fear that in America's absence, India and other "unfriendly countries" will gain more influence in Afghanistan.
While some argue fearing a return of civil war between the Taliban and the government in Kabul, the potential local impact of a destabilized or Talibanized Afghanistan on the majority-Pashtun border regions, such as Balochistan. In addition to the concerns about refugees and alliances between cross-border Taliban groups, the Pashtun nationalism among both of these groups is running high. The feeling among these communities of belonging to a "Greater Afghanistan" rather than Pakistan society can undermine the authority of the government within its own borders.
In a recent statement Army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor told reporters in Rawalpindi, where the military is headquartered, that Pakistan has long called for resolving Afghan conflict through political means and a U.S.-initiated peace process has gained momentum lately.
"This political reconciliation must succeed. ... We wish that the U.S. leaves Afghanistan as friend of the region, not as a failure," Ghafoor said, without elaborating further
However I have two questions from my fellow PDF members, who have been keeping a close eye on Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, and the potential US pull out.
1) What would be the implications for Pakistan?
2) What should be Pakistan's strategy to tackle the situation ?
Some people believe that there is sense of fear among the Pakistani people and government concerning the US draw down of operations in neighboring Afghanistan, albeit fear from differing causes. Chief concerns include that a sudden withdrawal will lead to chaotic destabilization, which could spill over the border, or that even with a gradual draw down, image will be that the Taliban is winning- a dangerous notion for Pakistan which has its own Taliban groups. Finally, others fear that in America's absence, India and other "unfriendly countries" will gain more influence in Afghanistan.
While some argue fearing a return of civil war between the Taliban and the government in Kabul, the potential local impact of a destabilized or Talibanized Afghanistan on the majority-Pashtun border regions, such as Balochistan. In addition to the concerns about refugees and alliances between cross-border Taliban groups, the Pashtun nationalism among both of these groups is running high. The feeling among these communities of belonging to a "Greater Afghanistan" rather than Pakistan society can undermine the authority of the government within its own borders.
In a recent statement Army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor told reporters in Rawalpindi, where the military is headquartered, that Pakistan has long called for resolving Afghan conflict through political means and a U.S.-initiated peace process has gained momentum lately.
"This political reconciliation must succeed. ... We wish that the U.S. leaves Afghanistan as friend of the region, not as a failure," Ghafoor said, without elaborating further
However I have two questions from my fellow PDF members, who have been keeping a close eye on Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, and the potential US pull out.
1) What would be the implications for Pakistan?
2) What should be Pakistan's strategy to tackle the situation ?
