Webinar cautions against becoming scapegoat in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: At a webinar on “Pak-German dialogue on evolving Afghan dynamics” organised by South Asian Strategic Stability Institute Friday, Mr Ronny Heine, Country Representative, Konnard-Adenauer Foundation in Uzbekistan, said that Germany wanted Afghanistan to be stable and democratic.

Mr Ronny said: “Central Asia countries are very active and monitoring the situation in Afghanistan. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are facing huge refugee pressure on their borders as these former Soviet Republics are scared that terrorist elements may creep into their territories in the garb of refugees.

The Russian Federation is mounting pressure on Central Asian republics to keep a guard on the influx of refugees.” Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal said that Afghanistan will be the Islamic Emirates and announced to follow the Hanafi fiqh which is a bit softer but religious. He said: “It could be a success story only if there is inclusive government.

Taliban have recruited people from all groups and had assigned some responsibility to other ethnic, sectarian and linguistic leanings in their shadow government which needs resources due to financial constraints and Chinese have expressed desire to help it out in exchange for mineral exploration of its vast resources”

He hoped Pakistan’s image will be improved and called for cautious optimism, warning against becoming a scapegoat. He said no Ummah exist and we should not act as a brother or big brother for Afghanistan.

He said there are spoilers like US, India and transnational terrorist syndicates like TTP, al-Qaida, East Turkistan Liberation Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Islamic State of S Khurasan.

If Taliban put pressure on these groups, a civil war may flare. He referred to Balochistan terrorists and the Iranian brigade created within Afghanistan. He said that for the new Afghan generation, war is a style of life. There is a war economy of $2.5 to 5 billion drug economy in Afghanistan, he revealed.

“We find radicalised societies in India, Iran and now Afghanistan. We should not underestimate the chances of sectarian strife in Pakistan. If we secure the border, there will be less chance of spillover. Border sealing is also optimistic.”

Dr Maria Sultan said Afghanistan is facing war for the last 40 years. She hoped peace will prevail and the world will be ready for reconstruction and fixing the wounds of the war-torn country. We all have to work together to rebuild Afghanistan, she exhorted, emphasizing that peace be given a chance and no one culture should force itself on another.