SPY EYES

By Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan

In his radio interview, President Obama covered up the Mullen’s accusations against Pakistan, as mere “frustration” of this US military Chief, who could not win a success in Afghanistan, despite an extension in his service. President Karazai and his intelligence set up did not wait for a respite to Pakistan from these allegations, once they accused her of involvement in the killing of former Afghan President Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani.  According to Lutifullah Mashal, a representative of the Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), that Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was behind the assassination of former Afghan President Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani and that Quetta Shura made the plan for this killing in Quetta, Pakistan. While acting in haste, President Karazai, seconded these allegations of its intelligence agency and repeated the charges.

As this was not enough, authorities in Kabul threatened to refer the case to UNO. The new episode surfaced after Pentagon and US State Department could not put Pakistan on defensive, after Mullen accused the Pakistan for its alleged relationship with Haqqanis. This time Pakistani nation rebuffed the US allegations and strategy of degrading Pakistan through a collective voice from all forums viz; political, people and its armed forces. So much so later State Departmenthas to disown the Mullen’s remarks and even President Obama has said that, he is not sure of the linkages between ISI and Haqqanis. Mullen himself changed his statement during the farewell ceremony in Virginia and advised his successor General Martin Dempsey to remain engage with Pakistan, as ‘there can be no resolution of Afghanistan without Pakistan’ owing to its significant role and location.    

As a head of the Afghan peace council, established by President Karazai, the role of former President Rabbani was commendable. Primarily the peace council was to negotiate with Taliban, convince them to renounce the insurgent activities, and join the Afghan Government for a stable, peaceful and prosper Afghanistan.  Afghan Government and Prof Rabbani had full backing of Pakistan in this regard. He visited Pakistan in this regard and Pakistani authorities have been assisting him largely. Indeed Pakistan is a worst sufferer of Afghan instability and wants peace there. Pakistan is a strong advocate of the fact that, peace in Afghanistan will bring peace and stability in Pakistan. Indeed, these two nations cannot be dealt separately in term of security, stability or otherwise in the regional context. Since any setback to peace in Afghanistan will equally affect Pakistan, therefore, Pakistan cannot wish for Afghanistan anything that it does not wish for itself.

Besides, the late Prof Rabbani was very close to Pakistani establishment and remained friendly and sincere to Pakistan throughout. He played a significant role during Afghan war against former Soviet Union and Pakistani Government played a role in making him as an interim President of Afghanistan.  How Pakistan could be behind such a heinous crime of killing its own friend, once it desires assimilation of Taliban and other factions in broad based Afghan Government?  Pakistan has been emphasizing the Karazai Government to talk with Taliban and others, who remained unhappy with it ever since 2001. Even repeatedly, Pakistan advised US administration and CIA to resort for a political solution, rather a military one resulting into killing the Afghan masses and further deteriorating the situation there. 

President Karazai should have envisioned the scenario under which these accusations are being framed against Pakistan and its intelligence agency, before passing a verdict about this killing. Had Afghan intelligence been so efficient and competent, than it should have helped Karazi in the identification of fake Mullah Mansur, with whom even President Karazia had two meetings at the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul in 2010? Fake Mullah Mansur was negotiating with Karazai as the chief negotiator of Taliban from Quetta Shura.  This indeed is the worth of NDS and reality of Quetta Shura, if at all it has a physical existence in Quetta, as being claimed by U.S and Karazai. Not only Indian and U.S trained NDS, but MI-6 and CIA were unable to identify Mullah Mansur, who has been a minister in Taliban Government. How can one believe on the allegations of these self-deceiving and indeed defeated intelligence agencies for their allegations on ISI? President Karazai too had a backing of Pakistan in winning the Presidential election at a time once Obama Administration and CIA declared him and his family as the corrupt most. It was Pakistan then, which supported him throughout. Now on behest of CIA and US Administration or to advance the Indian cause, Karazai has the guts to accuse Pakistan, whichindeed is the height of being ungrateful. 

Indeed a failed US strategy necessitated that there should be some scapegoat for this failure. Under the prevailing circumstances, all out efforts are being made by this super power to penalize Pakistan for various activities in the region, which it has never thought of undertaking. Even a layman can visualize, the motive behind these allegations, after all why President Karazai should fell short of such an assessment or else he is acting as a tool in the hands of the occupiers. Why can the Afghan acumen visualize that, who is the real beneficiary of the Afghanistan remaining an unstable state?  What goods an instable Afghanistan could accrue for Pakistan?  At best; the worst instability, drug and weapons culture, ethnic and sectarian conflicts or the extra burden of over 5 million Afghan refugees, now reduced to 2.5 million, who are parasite on our economy. More than that, the instable Afghanistan has enabled involvement of dozen of international spying network inside Pakistan with the intent to destabilize it, on the pretext of sub-nationalism, sectarianism and ethnic issues. In fact, this spying network is now playing with the sovereignty of Pakistan. They are indeed harbouring the terrorists from Afghan soil and providing them with funds and weapons.

Late Prof Rabbani was a peace promoter in Afghanistan, whose indirect beneficiary was Pakistan, besides Afghanistan itself. How could Pakistan or its intelligence agency be behind the murder of such a peace lover?  Why can’t those levels the charges understand that ISI is acting as the eyes and ears of Pakistan, promote, and look after its interests? What interests ISI could have served by killing a Pakistani friend and messenger of peace.  Similarly, this organization cannot provide, safe havens, harbour and abet the terrorists groups who could be; Taliban, Haqqanis or other militants, who and their accomplices are killing the innocent Pakistanis since last one decade.  Why cannot the sense prevail among the Afghan rulers, its acumen and their masterminds?  For how long should they continue cheating their own people on behest of their foreign lords? Afghan officials and rulers should be loyal to their soil and people at least, if not with their well-wisher, Pakistan?

Since Pakistan would be a real recipient of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, besides Afghanistan itself, therefore, it is not liked by many extra-regional powers, those indeed have different agendas. Then who will be the real beneficiary if Afghanistan remains instable? For understanding such a scenario, there is need to analyse that, would there be need of foreign forces and foreign spying networks in a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. A stable Afghanistan would ask all such foreigners to leave its geographical frontiers, for the sake of maintaining country’s sovereignty, which is highly compromised under foreign occupation currently.  In such a scenario, those who have spent trillion of dollars would have to pack up for their homelands. But the question are; had they spent this heavy amount for the benefits of Afghan people? No, not at all, U.S and its allies have spent these dollars and even got their soldiers killed for objective not to the imagination of many leaders and analysts in Pakistan and Afghanistan even. They want a permanent say in the region and that is only possible once there is an uncertainty and instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which provide a pretext for their stay in the region.

The instability in Afghanistan can be prolonged and maintained only if peace efforts are repeatedly sabotaged and so-called rulers at Kabul are kept at defensive, needing the foreign crutches for their survival all the times.  This is indeed the real situation; where NATO and U.S are the real beneficiary of this entire scenario, hence intend continuing with the status quo. These occupying powers would not let any undisputed leader like Prof Rabbani, to work for the peace, who has the ability to unite Afghans. Therefore, such peacemakers are to be eliminated by those having stakes. Rabbani was promoting the Pakistani interests besides Afghan’s. How such a man could have been be tolerated there?

Owing to their prolonged working together, Pakistani intelligence agency and its armed forces understand the strategy of CIA, NATO and their collaborators in Afghanistan. Moreover, Pakistan desires that, U.S and foreign elements should let Afghan people to decide their future themselves. With these intents in view, Pakistan and ISI are accused and pursued to give-up this Afghan centric approach, which in the long-term will bring stability in Pakistan too. Afghan President and people should understand the real motives and stop playing at the hands of CIA and others who wants to exploit the situation for their own benefit, rather contributing towards Afghan peace. CIA and RAW wants a permanent state of conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which serve their purpose, rather a peace. After having visualized these facts, President Karazai should sit with his Pakistani counterpart and Afghan NDS chief should meet ISI chief to assess the real aims and objectives behind this assassination of Prof Rabbani, rather threatening Pakistan of taking this case to UNO, to implement US desires.  After all what can UN do to Pakistan without its faults?  Moreover, Pakistan is not standing alone in the comity of nations. It has its well-wishers to stand with it at these difficult times too.

In the regional and global context, the time has arrived where leaders and those who matters, from both countries should sit together understand each other’s viewpoint, bridge the trust deficit among them, stop playing in the hands of global powers and understand the global conspiracies, being hatched against their motherlands. Hamid Karazai should negotiate with Pakistan, considering it as the well-wisher and sympathizer of all Afghan people, rather the supporter of Taliban or Haqqanis only. Pakistan should talk with Karazai, considering him as the representative of all Afghan people, rather a representative of 20 percent masses or a particular faction, or else a tool of CIA and RAW.  

There is a budding need that, Afghan authorities should put an end to the blame game, assess the emerging scenario and identify its national interests viz-a-vis Pakistan’s. Both brotherly and neighbourly Muslim countries should work for the stability and peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan through an indigenous solution suiting their people, rather accommodating the American and Indian interests. Let us leave no room for CIA and RAW and many other anti-Pakistan and anti-Afghan forces to either scold Pakistan or use Afghan soil and its leadership for the fulfilment of its long-term agenda in the region. This would be the only way forward for a regional stability, peace and a harmonious Pakistan and Afghanistan in the days to come.