Afghanistan Times
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Policies of Pakistani establishment is not only frustrating the regional countries but also its citizens who had been treated as second-grade nationals—deprived of rights and pushed into the frontline in an unknown war. When the super power, the United States, and her allies are fighting the war against terrorism, Pakistan is engaged in war against its liberal civilians. Although, the US has termed Pakistan an ally in South Asia against terrorism but Islamabad has no achievement in the war and playing double game with its western friends to get millions of dollars in military assistance. Washington is also well-aware of the fact that it has been dodged continuously by Islamabad.
On one hand Pakistan claimed to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purpose but on the other hand it provided centrifuges to Iran and North Korea. The result is that now North Korea is posing serious threats to South Korea, Japan and other countries. The aggressive Pyongyang repeatedly threatened its peaceful neighbors of nuclear attack. If Pakistan had not shared the details of atom bomb making with North Korea, the region would have felt less secure. A bunch of Pakistani military and civilian officials are of the view that they could defeat the US by thousand cuts. That’s why Islamabad condemns terrorism on stage but support notorious terror groups behind the scene and openly. They think they have all the aces.
Outcome of such policies is horrible. Effects of these policies on the regional, global and national security are beyond calculation. Pakistani citizens were not only killed and harassed by the very terrorist organizations that born and nurtured there but the common people are also humiliated at foreign airports due to bad image of the country. As a matter of fact, the people have suffered more financial and human losses than the government of Pakistan. Hundreds of political workers, students, teachers, doctors, human rights activists, journalists, nationalists and scholars were kidnapped, tortured, killed and injured.
Despite repeated requests, the government of the eastern neighboring country has not changed policies toward its own people, let alone Afghanistan and other neighbors. Different ethnic groups are targeted for their culture, language and liberal ideology. Thousands of people from these ethnic groups were treated like enemies by Pakistani security agencies. Their only crime is struggle for their rights. Pashtuns are also among the victim because they see Afghanistan as their ancestral land and India as a good friend.
Frustrated by policies of the Pakistani government, especially the maltreatment of Afghan refugees, Chief of the Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali Khan proudly declared that he was an Afghan and will remain an Afghan. He criticized the Pakistan for not targeting Afghan militants on its soil. Asfandyar asked Islamabad to arrest and handover the Afghan militants to Kabul because peace in Pakistan sans stability in Afghanistan is impossible.
Therefore, policymakers in Rawalpini and Islamabad should revise their policies and cooperate with neighboring countries in the war against extremism and terrorism.
