In Search of Rationality in Afghan Bitterness Towards Pakistan

Inam ul Haque

07 March 2024

Published in: The Express Tribune

There is discerned sense of victimhood among Afghans, where they ascribe all their problems to Pak, particularly to its Punjabi Miltablishment. This can’t be far from truth. However, one finds most Afghan without a true sense of history and reality.

Reality is: 25 million Pashtuns living in prosperity of noisy democracy in Pak have provided and continue to provide strategic depth to 11 million Pashtuns under Kabul, plus common Afghan citizenry’s reliance on Pakistani schools and hospitals for girls’ education, top-class Medicare and innumerable other benefits including learning and playing cricket, are more advantageous to Afg than Pak…that still reels under TTP-generated terrorism, from safe havens in eastern Afg.

So, isn’t Pak providing ‘strategic depth’ to Afg, rather than other way round? Hasn’t Afg’s survival under foreign occupation, consequential to Pak’s Punjabi Miltablishment’s ‘ostensible double game? Yes, for all that Pak has done, any nation would expect a peace (call it strategic) dividend.

Irrespective of its many failings and missteps, its (Pak) long-term policy vision for region is, thankfully, formulated and pursued by its seasoned corps of civilian, mil and academic stakeholders, under parliamentary oversight just like in other countries.