By Dr Noorjahan
Pakistan's efforts in
countering terrorism in the region is exemplary. Since, Afghan turmoi India has
always tried to promote terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is not
alarming to see that the United States (US) media and its think tanks are
criticizing Pakistan for the affairs of Afghanistan. Different think tanks
including the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) are criticizing Pakistan
for its failures in Afghanistan. This propaganda is nothing new and there is no
need to worry about it. It was quite normal and I was expecting it a long ago
even before the fall of Kabul at the hands of the Taliban. It is a reality that
the Taliban defeated a superpower of this century with very few resources in
their hands.
It wasn’t surprising for me
when I read the criticism of the US think tank on Pakistan in the ongoing
scenario of Afghanistan. Just remember the pictures that went viral on social
media when the Taliban took over Kabul last year. The Taliban fighters were
seen in ordinary dresses while a US soldier was dressed up in a proper military
uniform with the complete gear of war. There was a huge difference in the cost
between what a Taliban fighter was wearing and what a US soldier had. The US was
spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan with a huge deployment of soldiers
there. But, what happened in Afghanistan? History has witnessed that the
Taliban defeated all the western powers with very limited resources. So, the
reaction of these think tanks is quite normal because they lost a war here even
after spending billions of dollars.
It was quite obvious that
the western media will blame Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan. Now, they
are trying to damage the repute of Pakistan through their negative propaganda
and putting the onus on us. Attempts are being made by the western world to
hold Pakistan responsible for the Afghan fiasco. But the story is altogether
different and every sane mind believes that Pakistan is the country that always
played its role in bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. Pakistan is an
important and responsible regional player and it knows its worth too. Just have
a look at the maiden visit of Pakistan’s new Foreign Minister to the United
States. He was warmly welcomed there because the US knows very well the
significance of Pakistan in the region. It was Pakistan that played the key
role in Doha Talks that took place between the US and the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan prepared and convinced the Afghan Taliban to sit with the US at the
negotiating table which ultimately paved the way for the US exit from the
Afghan land. It is also a matter of fact that US Special Representative Zalmay
Khalilzad first used to land in Islamabad before going to Kabul. He was an
eyewitness to the Doha Talks and therefore he was very well aware of Pakistan’s
role in signing that historical document.
(The writer is Karachi based Post Doctorate who believes in freedom of expression, a freelance columnist, entrepreneur and social activist).
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