Afghan imbroglio

According to media reports, Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani has said that Pakistan cannot be held responsible for the mess in Afghanistan. The chaos there is the result of the collective failure of the international community. We should not just seek peace in Afghanistan, but also actively push for a settlement by using the forum of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG). Any stability that may come about in Afghanistan due to a peace process may be fragile at best or untenable at worst, but this is our best option for ensuring that the cross-border movement/refuge of militants and terrorists is eradicated. Second, CASA-1000 is a win-win project for both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Having said that, we should ensure a progressive and liberal Afghanistan for the future so that it can become a hub, connecting Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Central Asian states and China economically. Also, we need to learn to balance our ties with the US, and not put ‘all our eggs in one basket’ by relying on China to solve all our economic issues. China may be a time-tested friend, but we must not forget that we cannot ‘afford’ to have a long stalemate in our relations with the US.

Abbas R Siddiqi

Pennsylvania

US