US withdrew from Afghanistan to destabilise region, says former ambassador

If the Taliban get legitimacy, they will show their real face which will be more brutal than what they are currently projecting themselves. They are also not likely to have a check on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) once their government in Afghanistan is recognised.

The turmoil in Afghanistan will bring instability in the region, particularly in Pakistan, which is still paying the price of decisions made during the late 1970s. These views expressed by speakers at a moot titled, ‘International Conference on Afghanistan under Taliban: Implications for Pakistan and the Region’, which demanded of the United Nations, United States, Russia, China and other world forces to play their due role in establishing durable peace and stability in Afghanistan and ensure that commitments made in the past, particularly in Doha, were fulfilled.

The conference was organised on Thursday by the International Relations Department of the University of Karachi (KU) at the varsity’s Arts and Social Sciences Auditorium. The speakers observed that financial aid, which was very crucial for Afghan people, had not been restored yet and this was creating a lot of problems for the interim Taliban government.

Former ambassador Dr Jamil Ahmed Khan, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, said the geostrategic and geopolitical position of Afghanistan was very pivotal and so far we had witnessed that the instability in Afghanistan had had major effects around the world.

Discussing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, he asked if that was not a tactical retreat. Dr Ahmed was of the view that the US withdrawal seemed to be an organised destabilisation of the region and that served the interests of the US because such turmoil would have negative impacts for Pakistan, China, Russia and other countries.

The former ambassador said that if the US and the rest of the world did not restore the financial aid and support for Afghanistan, another civil war might occur. He added that the winter season was just around the corner and almost 95 per cent of Afghans did not have access to food and other basic necessities.

Michael Kugelman, Asia Program deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Centre, Washington DC, in his recorded presentation on the subject mentioned that how different states in the region were fearful about the situation in Afghanistan.

“Russia fears the presence of Daesh in the Central Asian countries, China is also fearful about the Uyghur factor, India is fearful about anti-India extremist groups and Pakistan is fearful about the TTP,” said the foreign expert.

He added that in his opinion, the Taliban would not create troubles for the TTP. “If the situation in Afghanistan goes well, it will be better for the whole world, particularly for the region,” he stated.

KU Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said Pakistan was still paying the price of decisions made during the late 1970s. He added that besides Pakistan, Afghan refugees had also been living in other countries like Iran but compared to Pakistan, other countries did not witness the law and order situation, culture of Kalashnikov, and drug trafficking.

He informed the audience that Iran had saved itself from adverse consequences of the presence of refugee by implementing a well-thought-out strategy and its law.

National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad Department of Peace and Conflict Studies Chairperson Dr Arshi Saleem discussed challenges in fighting terrorism after the Taliban takeover. She said there were specific threats of terrorism in and from Afghanistan and the political preferences of Taliban would tell where they were going.

Discussing Pakistan's concerns about the TTP, she said the Taliban were in a dilemma because if they curbed the TTP, the latter might join Daesh that was a rival of the Taliban, and if they gave a free hand to the TTP, it might damage their relations with Pakistan.

Dr Arshi observed that India was now more concerned about the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan because they could pose a greater threat to India by forming a network with Indian militant organisations in the wake of the anti-Muslim policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

She remarked that a rise in violent activities in the region was expected, which would ultimately pave the way for the US’s comeback to South Asia.

Former KU arts and social sciences dean Dr Moonis Ahmar said the sate of Afghanistan was 200 years older than Pakistan but it had not been able to settle down as a nation-state. “If the Taliban gets legitimacy, they will show their real face which would be more brutal and lethal. For Afghanistan, the multi-stakeholders approach is the only solution,” he maintained.

KU Arts and Social Sciences Dean Prof Dr Nusrat Idrees said Afghanistan deserved peace as the country had already suffered the destruction of war for several decades. She mentioned that as a neighbouring country, Pakistan had always supported Afghanistan and continued to stand by the Afghans in these difficult times.

She said Afghanistan’s economic stability and reconstruction was the most important challenge not only for the Taliban but the entire region. A political and economically stable Afghanistan could reduce the pressure on Pakistan, she added.

KU International Relations Department Chairperson Dr Naeem Ahmed said the common Afghans were still waiting for peace and stability in their hometown. He mentioned that the interim government in Afghanistan was not internationally recognised and the security situation had still not improved in the country. Dr Greg Aasen, faculty member at the University of Westminster, UK, also participated in the conference through video link.