‘Rationally inclusive govt in Afghanistan must for regional peace, security’

Islamabad : Experts from Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran speaking a webinar have opined that only a rationally inclusive government in Kabul will lead to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region. It is a good sign that the Taliban are behaving more mature this time and talking to the neighbouring countries in their language. They have a more rational approach towards their own people from different segments of society.

They mentioned that Taliban’s brisk takeover of the country without any strong resistance from the Afghan army has shown Taliban’s wide acceptance in their country.

Another opinion contrarily doubted the Taliban's smooth sailing through all the parts. Taliban’s takeover could have been planned by some external forces to create chaos in the region against China’s aggressive economic moves. However, the experts believed that only infrastructural and economic development in Afghanistan would lead to peace and prosperity in the region. All the neighbouring countries should support the government in Afghanistan that is acceptable to the natives.

Development Communications Network (Devcom Pakistan) and DTN organised a webinar on 'Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Challenges for the Region' with panelists from Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran. The key experts included chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, geopolitical analyst former ISI chief Lieutenant General (r) Asad Durrani, Director of Middle Eastern Studies Centre (ORSAM) in Ankara and professor of Political Sociology at Istanbul University Prof. Dr. Ahmet Uysal, Director South Asian Studies at Tehran International Studies and Research Institute Dr. Somaye Morovati, and chief executive officer Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KP BIOT) Hassan Daud Butt. Devcom Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed hosted and conducted the webinar.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said the US squandered $ 6.4 trillion on ‘war on terror’ including $ 2.2 trillion in Afghanistan, almost $ 100 billion on 300,000-strong Afghan Army and Air Force, which roughly means spending $ 100 billion every month on the Afghan War for the last 20 years. Despite huge investments, the US could not build a strong defence in Afghanistan is a monumental failure of a superpower.

Senator Mushahid urged the countries in the region to forge a regional policy with China, Russia, Iran, and Turkey at the core, plus Central Asian neighbours of Afghanistan including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Call a conference of these countries inviting the USA too for a comprehensive plan for peace and stability in the region. Lieutenant General (r) Muhammad Asad Durrani said that spillover of Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan is expected in Pakistan. The elements shall be taken to confidence and their concerns shall be addressed according to the state’s interests. The Taliban's takeover is not unexpected. They had actually won the negotiations but were waiting for the moment. It seems that the US has intentionally provided the Taliban an opportunity to take over and lead to a civil war in Afghanistan. Taliban this time have shown maturity and he believed the consensus of the Afghan tribes would play a significant role in the future of the country.

Professor Dr. Ahmet Uysal said the main losers in Afghanistan is the USA in particular and the NATO countries while the West is overall. That is because the USA and its allies invested in the Afghanistan invasion at the heart of Asia hoping to establish a unipolar Western hegemony along with the invasion in Iraq, but they failed miserably. The second loser is India, s it invaded the old corrupt Afghan government to contain Pakistan, and to reach Central Asian markets. They have had strategic, diplomatic, and economic losses in Afghanistan. The third group of losers is the US allies such as Israel, some of the Gulf countries, and a faction in Syria. Briefly, they all have witnessed that the US alliance was not dependable and the US could leave its ally alone anytime.