Awami Itala

Much has been written and talked about with regard to the situation in Afghanistan. In India, the role of Pakistan has been discussed in great detail. It would be interesting to analyses what is being said about the Afghanistan situation in Pakistan. This article will attempt to cover the Pakistani perspective on the basis of inputs available in Pakistani media.

Pakistan continues to position itself as an aggrieved party that has suffered immensely as a consequence of assisting the US in the Global War on Terror (GWOT). On 5 June, about a month before the Taliban takeover, the Pakistani leadership, including Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the all important General Qamar Bajwa, held a crucial meeting in which a distinct anti-US tone and tenor was adopted. The leadership reiterated that it would “no more” assist the US since “Pakistani lives cannot be taken for granted.”

Later, Prime Minister Imran Khan, in an interview given to an Australian Journalist, Jonathan Swan, stated that Pakistan would “absolutely not” allow the US to use any Pakistani base for any action inside Afghanistan. Once the US drawback gained momentum, certain commentators in Pakistan publicly humiliated the US by saying that the situation represented, “a tragic drawdown of the world’s lone super power at the hands of a rag-tag militia’s highly relevant ways of war.”

The writing on the wall is very clear – the Pakistani leadership had put all its eggs in the basket of China and the Taliban much before the Taliban moved in to take over Afghanistan. The anti-US posture is part of a “Grand Strategy” worked out by Pakistan with its new partners – Russia, China, Turkey and Taliban.

The more vocal and pragmatic among Pakistani commentators like Najam Sethi were critical of the manner in which the Pakistan Army along with the ISI were dictating policy on Afghanistan and literally thrusting it down the throats of the Pakistani people through the pliant Government. “Foreign policies should not dictate how the nation will run. If there is a nation there is an establishment not the other way around. There is a need to remove the hybrid system created by the Army and get the nation together,” said Sethi in an interview.

On August 17, PM Khan and General Bajwa met prominent Taliban leaders in Pakistan. Pakistan invited the non-Pashtun leaders also in what it portrayed as an effort to seek a broad-based consensus. Post the meeting Pakistan emphasised that it would do everything for an “inclusive settlement” of the Afghan conflict. Thus, despite the belligerence, Pakistan hopes to keep the US and the West on its side by leveraging its bargaining chips in bringing the Taliban to the negotiation table. It wishes to maintain its relevance internationally.

However, while talking of inclusivity Pakistan remains quite dismissive of the previous regime. It calls Ashraf Ghani and Amrullah Saleh puppets of America who desperately tried to delay and cancel the American withdrawal. Apparently, the resistance being organized by Saleh will meet with opposition from Pakistan.

On August, 19, Pakistani media reported with a certain degree of glee that Taliban had announced the creation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on the 102nd anniversary of the country’s independence from British rule. This statement came when the US was accusing the Taliban of reneging on its pledge to allow Afghans who worked with the United States and its allies to move out of the country.

Pakistan is going quite overboard to prove that the Taliban will be a good, benevolent regime. The ‘new’ Taliban is different from the old; women’s education and right to work will be uninterrupted; the media would be allowed to operate independently are some of the points being incessantly highlighted by the Pakistan media.

Pakistan says that it will recognize the new regime in Afghanistan after consultation and consensus with “all neighbours of Afghanistan” but importantly China and Russia. For international consultations it names Turkey. Apparently Pakistan, while dealing with Talibanised Afghanistan, will not keep the sensitivities of India, the US and the West into consideration.

Pakistan is going to great lengths to prove to the world that it is tied to Afghanistan because of the, “dictates of terrain and for housing over five million refugees many of whom now call Pakistan home.” It is speaking of bilateral trade worth hundreds of millions of dollars which it says has already started post Taliban control. “Today, many trucks loaded with fresh fruit (from Afghanistan), were cleared at Customs House Chaman,” said a senior Custom Officer of Pakistan on August, 19.

Pakistan also wants the Taliban to remain totally isolated from India. “Pakistan hopes the Taliban will not allow the use of their land against Pakistan and any other country,” said a statement emanating from the Pakistan Foreign office; the reference was so clearly towards India. This apart, Pakistan is going overboard in projecting India as a villain of the piece. On 20 August, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that certain ‘anti-peace’ elements were active to play the role of spoilers and it is a test of the Afghan leadership to cope with such challenges. In time, the Taliban will like to retain autonomy in its foreign policy; the contradicting ambition of both countries will be of interest in the future.

To sum up, the situation in Afghanistan is the creation of the ISI under supervision of the Pakistan Army. The Afghanistan policy of Pakistan, as such, is dictated by the Pakistan Army and the ISI; it has an outright military connotation with a pro-China/Russia/Turkey bias. It goes against the interest of India and the West. In simple words, the Pakistan Army wishes to control Afghanistan. Pakistan’s talk of inclusivity in governance in Afghanistan is eyewash; it is looking for a pure and pliant Taliban Government. To this effect it is using its captive media machinery to project the Taliban as “new and reformed.” Pakistan will do all it can to keep India out of Afghanistan for which reason it will keep Iran at an arm’s length too. Ultimately the Pakistan army will use Afghanistan as a strategic asset against India to the extent of proliferation of terror in Kashmir, increase in drug supply to Punjab and creation of Jihadi cells across the country.

An Afghan mayor, who fled to Germany after the Taliban takeover, revealed on Tuesday that the Taliban had a list of persons who took a liberal stance during past internationally recognized governments.

Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors, recounted the Taliban looking for her at her home and assaulting the security officers stationed there.

The former mayor of Maidan Shahr, which is located west of Kabul, stated that Afghanistan will always be theirs, regardless of who governs the country.

“Afghanistan was ours & it’ll remain ours no matter who comes. If women like me are not there now, it’s because… just like a tiger who takes two steps back to come back with more force…We have to show to the world the real face of Taliban in Afghanistan, ” ANI quoted Ghafari as saying.

The status of women in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan has become one of the most hotly debated topics in recent days, especially after it became clear that the Taliban would run the country.

“They have a list of people who took a liberal approach earlier…Do you know why they Taliban are killing people like me? Because they don’t want other people to know what they are. They don’t want Afghans to stand against them, ” Ghafari said.

“I want to talk to the Taliban leaders. I am taking responsibility. I even forget the death of my father. I want to negotiate with them on behalf of every unspoken woman, ” she added.

She also addressed the involvement of outside actors such as Pakistan in the ongoing issue.

Pakistan has been accused of assisting the Taliban in their offensive against government forces for a long time.

“Pakistan’s role is crystal clear, and every Afghan kid understands it,” she stated.

In March 2020, the Trump administration presented Ghafari with the International Women of Courage Award, during which she warned that Afghan women are “always worried for the future” since they “have not forgotten the Taliban’s reign.”

At the age of 26, Ghafari made history when she became the youngest and first female mayor in Afghanistan’s Maidan Wardak province.

Ghafari, like other women who have managed to break free, is now frightened about the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

Courtesy : WION

Members of the Baloch, Sindhi and Afghan communities living in the United States along with several migrants from Bangladesh and Gilgit-Baltistan region have held a peaceful protest and a car rally in Washington against human rights violations of minorities in Pakistan.

“All oppressed communities from Pakistan are protesting against the human rights violations there.

We demand the international community and the United States to impose sanctions against Pakistan,” Nabi Baksha Baloch from the Baloch National Movement, US, told PTI during the protest held on 14 Aug 21.

The protest in front of the Embassy of Pakistan, where they reached in a car rally, was organized by the “Expose-Pakistan Campaign Committee”, of which Baloch National Movement is a part of along with Pashtun Tahafuz Movement – USA, Jiye Sindh Freedom Movement, Human Rights Congress for Bangladeshi Minorities and Kashmir/Gilgit-Baltistan “August 14 is not a day of Azadi (freedom) but the day Pakistan forcefully occupied Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

It is the day when cultural genocide and ethnic engineering started in Sindh. It is the day when Islamic terrorism was imposed on Pashtuns and Afghans to destroy their cultural identity,” the organisers said in a statement.

“It is the day when Hindu citizens lost their right to religious freedom and life,” it said, adding that the protest is organized by the direct victims of Pakistan’s brutal domestic and foreign policy.

The protesters also said that Pakistan is openly funding Taliban, which is on the list of UN-banned terrorist groups.

“This is a clear violation of UN Charter and the international community should place a ban on the sales of weapons and military hardware to Islamabad.

Moreover, we demand that FATF should move Pakistan to the Blacklist,” they said.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is a Paris-based watchdog to combat money laundering terror financing.

“US and its allies should impose trade and commerce restrictions on China, Iran and Pakistan for supporting terrorism and genocide.

The United Nations should remove Pakistan and Iran from the Human Rights Council,” the agitators said

Courtesy : THEWEEK

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said on Monday the Afghan Taliban had reassured the government that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) would not be given permission to operate in Afghanistan against Pakistan.

Responding to a question while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the interior minister said some TTP members such as Maulvi Faqir Mohammad had been released by the Taliban after their takeover of Kabul on August 15, adding that the government was in “full contact” with the Taliban on the issue.

“The related authorities there have been told that those who have done terrorism in Pakistan are controlled.

“The Afghan Taliban have reassured us that Afghanistan’s land will not be allowed to be used in any case by the TTP, said Rashid.

He said Pakistan desired peace in Afghanistan since peace in one country was related to peace in the other.

The interior minister’s comments come two days after the Foreign Office said Pakistan would ask the incoming government in Afghanistan to act against the TTP.

“Pakistan has been taking up the issue of the use of Afghan soil by the TTP for terrorist activities inside Pakistan with the previous Afghan government and would continue raising the issue with the incoming government in Kabul as well to ensure that the TTP is not provided any space in Afghanistan to operate against Pakistan,” the FO spokesman had said.

The FO was questioned on the release of TTP prisoners and responded that Pakistan would “continue to oppose support for any individual or any proscribed groups that remained involved in terrorist activities inside Pakistan”.

According to a report prepared for the United Nations Security Council in July, the TTP has about 6,000 trained fighters on the Afghan side of the border.

The report had noted that “despite growing distrust, TTP and the Taliban carry on with relations mainly as before”, adding that the former supported the latter in operations against the Afghan government.

Afghan evacuations and CPEC

Regarding Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate evacuations from Afghanistan, Rashid said more than 1,200 people including Americans had been evacuated and more than 4,000 visas had been issued in total.

Rashid added that 50 members of the Afghan cricket team had been issued visas as well and one-month visa-on-arrival facilities were being provided to diplomats and officials of international organizations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund

He said the interior ministry was also ramping up its capacity in case more visas need to be issued.

The interior minister clarified that Pakistan had no connection with the situation at Kabul’s airport.

“People are expecting us to gather people from different areas and give them entry to Kabul airport but this is not our responsibility,” Rashid said.

In regards to refugees, he said no decision had been made but people coming at the border were being facilitated.

Rashid further said that Pakistan had “no reservation” on requests by the European Union and other countries to park their planes in Pakistan for transport and other matters.

Regarding the fallout from the Afghan situation, he said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC) importance had increased.

Terming CPEC the “jugular vein” of Pakistan’s economy, he claimed there were “international conspiracies” underway against the project but the government was committed to taking it further.

He said 40 companies operating under CPEC were being provided protection by the army but recent events such as the Dasu attack and Quetta’s Serena Hotel blast signaled that “people want to play with the lives of Chinese who are not only friends but well wishers of Pakistan.”

Rashid said he had assured Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong of complete security to Chinese workers, adding that all of Pakistan’s institutions were working on it.

Regarding investigations of incidents against Chinese personnel, he said some suspects had been arrested while others were being traced.

“We have reached the source of the Fisher Colony incident as well, he said, referring to Friday’s suicide attack targeting a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals in Balochistan’s Gwadar district

Courtesy : DAWN

Former Afghan government forces forming a resistance movement in a fortified valley are preparing for “long-term conflict”, but are also seeking to negotiate with the Taliban, their spokesman told AFP in an interview.

Since the Taliban took control of the country following a lightning charge into the capital Kabul, thousands of people have made their way to Panjshir to both join the fight and find a safe haven to continue their lives, Ali Maisam Nazary said.

There, Ahmad Massoud, the son of Mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud who was assassinated by Al-Qaeda two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks, has assembled a fighting force of around 9,000 people, Nazary added. Pictures taken by AFP during training exercises show

dozens of recruits performing fitness routines, and a handful of armoured humvees driving across the valley northeast of Kabul.

The National Resistance Front’s main goal is to avoid further bloodshed in Afghanistan and press for a new system of government.

But Nazary said the group is also prepared for conflict, and if the Taliban do not negotiate they will face resistance across the country.

“The conditions for a peace deal with the Taliban is decentralisation — a system that ensures social jus-tice, equality, rights, and freedom for all,” said Nazary, the NRF’s head of foreign relations, adding if the Tali-ban do not agree there will be “long-term conflict”.

Talks between local leaders from Afghanistan’s north and authorities in Pakistan were taking place until just days ago, he added.

While the Taliban control the vast majority of Afghanistan, Nazary optimistically highlighted reports that local militias in some districts have already begun resisting their hardline rule and have formed links with Massoud’s NRF.

“Massoud did not give the order for these things to happen but they are all associated with us,” Nazary said.

“The Taliban are overstretched. They cannot be everywhere at the same time. Their resources are lim-ited. They do not have support amongst the majority.”

He said, however, that Masood had different views to Amrullah Saleh, latterly the country’s vice presi-dent who is also holed out in the valley and last week vowed to lead an uprising.

“Mr Saleh is in Panjshir.

He opted to stay in the country and not flee,” Nazary said, noting Saleh’s strong anti-Pakistan stance was at odds with Massoud who wanted good relations with Afghanistan’s neighbour.

“Mr Saleh is anti-Taliban and anti-Pakistani. That does not mean he is a part of this movement. He is in Panjshir and he is respected.”

The aim right now is to defend Panjshir and its people, Nazary said. “If there is any aggression because our fight is only for defence; if anyone attacks us we will defend our-selves.

Courtesy : PAK OBSERVER

KABUL — Groups of armed Afghans attacked the Taliban on 20 Aug 21, driving Afghanistan’s new rulers out of three northern districts, the first assault against the Islamist militants since they swept into Kabul last week and seized control of the government.

Local anti-Taliban commanders claimed in interviews they had killed as many as 30 of the group’s fighters and captured 20 in the takeover of the districts in Baghlan province, just over 100 miles north of the capital. Former Afghan service members were joined in the fight, they said, by local civilians. Images shared online showed celebrations as the red, green and black Afghan national flag — rather than the white flag of the Taliban — was raised over government buildings.

“We have ignited something that is historic in Afghanistan,” said Sediqullah Shuja, 28, a former Afghan soldier who took part in Friday’s uprising. “Taliban fighters had armored vehicles, but people threw stones at Taliban fighters and drove them out.”

“As long as we are alive,” he said, “we do not accept the Taliban’s rule.”

Friday’s attack is the latest sign of defiance toward the Taliban, ranging from Afghans refusing to fly the white Taliban flag to women protesting to preserve their rights. Together, they illuminate some of the obstacles the Taliban faces as it seeks to form a government deemed acceptable by a broad spectrum of Afghans and by the international community, especially donors.

But whether Friday’s attack is a sign of an emerging new military front against the Taliban remains to be seen.

The Taliban is militarily far superior than its earlier incarnation, which ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001 and was toppled following the U.S.-led invasion.

In just 10 days, the Taliban took control of every provincial capital across the nation, despite the Afghan government wielding a massive U.S.-funded and equipped military, an air force and special commando units. The Taliban seized the arsenals of Afghan army and police units, including American-made weaponry and armored vehicles. Having been humiliated by the Taliban’s triumph, there is no appetite in the West to fund an insurgency against their rule.

Taliban officials were not immediately available for comment Friday about events in Baghlan. But a tweet from a pro-Taliban account claimed the clashes killed 15 Taliban and wounded 15, and that the Taliban was betrayed after offering amnesty to locals.

“All those who committed this crime must be killed. The doors of conversation are closed,” the tweet read.

Friday’s assault to retake the three districts of Puli Hisar, Dih Salah and Bano — which was confirmed by a former defense minister — came after Taliban fighters conducted house-to-house searches in the Andarab valley of the province, local commanders said.

As in most parts of Afghanistan, the Taliban had taken over the districts with little resistance in recent weeks. Shuja said that the local residents had told the Taliban fighters they can govern as long as they don’t enter their villages and homes.

So when the Taliban came to conduct searches, former Afghan military servicemen, along with civilians, decided to rise up. They drove out the Taliban in less than a day.

“Taliban fighters did not listen to us,” said Shuja, who had left his post in Helmand province when he heard that military units were surrendering en masse to the Taliban. “They came to our houses and harassed people. In our villages, people are very traditional and Muslim. There is no reason for Taliban to come and teach us about Islam.”

Abdul Rahman, 53, a former commander at Baghlan prison, said he mobilized hundreds of local forces and pushed the Taliban out. He said that the uprising left 30 Taliban fighters dead and 20 in custody — claims that could not be independently verified.

“All people of the valley have risen up against the Taliban,” said Rahman. “We are not afraid of Taliban fighters. We can [fight] as many as they come.”

Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, a former defense minister who has called for the arrest of the former president, Ashraf Ghani, confirmed in a tweet that the local forces retook three districts in Baghlan province.

“Resistance is still alive,” said Mohammadi, who was an anti-Taliban commander during the group’s first stint in power.

On Twitter, Afghans posted photos and videos from the captured districts, including images of rifle-toting fighters congratulating one another on their victory and chanting “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great.”

Friday’s uprising appears unconnected to another anti-Taliban force that emerged this week in the north: The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, led by Ahmad Massoud, the son of the late Afghan mujahideen leader, Ahmad Shah Massoud.

The elder Massoud fought the Taliban in the late 1990s from his base in the Panjshir Valley, roughly 90 miles northeast of Kabul. Two days before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, he was assassinated by al-Qaeda operatives.

The National Resistance Front appears to be backing former vice president Amrullah Saleh, who is widely believed to be in the Panjshir Valley, the only area in the country not under Taliban control.

Saleh claims he is the legitimate caretaker of Afghanistan after former Ghani fled to the United Arab Emirates hours before the Taliban entered Kabul last weekend.

On Wednesday, Ahmad Massoud published an op-ed in The Washington Post seeking U.S. and Western support, arms, ammunition and supplies. He wrote that he is “ready to follow in my father’s footsteps, with mujahideen fighters who are prepared to once again take on the Taliban.”

Massoud said his forces include former Afghan regular army soldiers and Afghan Special Forces, as well as ordinary Afghans who have responded to his call to join the resistance. “We have stores of ammunition and arms that we have patiently collected since my father’s time, because we knew this day might come,” wrote Massoud.

His cause, however, has not been joined by other Afghan leaders who resisted Taliban rule the last time around.

Many have chosen instead to work with the Taliban in the hopes of creating an inclusive transitional government. Former reconciliation council leader Abdullah Abdullah, former president Hamid Karzai and a powerful warlord, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, have formed a council that seeks a political settlement with the Taliban, rather than join the budding insurgency.

“Talks and meetings are all about how we can pass on the current situation toward forming a government,” said Fraidoon Khwazoon, a spokesperson for Abdullah. “The Taliban says that all leaders must be invited back to Kabul for negotiations.”

Abdullah has been asking the Taliban to guarantee security for leaders who are not part of the group, while stopping house-to-house searches and the seizure of government-issued vehicles, said Khwazoon.

“A senior Taliban leader is in Kabul for talks, but first Afghan leaders need assurance of safety from the Taliban,” said the spokesperson.

On Friday, such assurances of safety were in doubt, especially for Afghanistan’s minority Hazara community, who are Shiite Muslims. An Amnesty International report detailed the torture and massacre of nine Hazara men last month by the Taliban, who are Sunni, after they captured territory in Ghazni province.

The allegations came just after the Taliban offered security for rituals and processions during Ashura, a significant Shiite commemoration that is considered blasphemous by hardline Sunnis. The decision raised hopes that perhaps the Taliban has changed its approach toward the Hazara — who were persecuted during the last Taliban government. But deep skepticism remains.

“I cannot believe that the Taliban has changed,” said Habibullah, a 33-year-old Hazara who, like many Afghans, uses one name. “Taliban fighters are the same as they have been trained. And for them, Hazaras are infidels.”

Courtesy : THE WASHINGTON POST

Contending that the Taliban could not have sustained its campaign or secured victory in Afghanistan without the active support of Islamabad, a former Commander of the British Army on 16 raised concerns over jihadist elements getting control of nuclear material in Pakistan to weaponize themselves.

Addressing a virtual conference organized by Jerusalem-based non-profit organization Media Central, Col.Richard Kemp, a former British Commander who led troops on the front lines of some of the world’s toughest hotspots, including Afghanistan and Iraq, said “Pakistan created the Taliban, funded the Taliban and supported the Taliban”.

The brutal war in Afghanistan reached a watershed moment on Sunday when the Taliban insurgents closed in on Kabul before entering the city and taking over the presidential palace, forcing embattled President Ashraf Ghani to join fellow citizens and foreigners to flee the country.

“Taliban would not have been able to sustain for 20 years without Pakistan’s support or carry out the campaign that they did or secure victory without it”, Kemp said. Yet, he cautioned that “the existence of a Jihadist state next door will also present great dangers to Pakistan”.

“One of the biggest threats we considered during the Afghanistan campaign, or the threat of Taliban winning, was the potential for them taking over control, or getting access to some of the nuclear facilities or nuclear weapons facilities in Pakistan”, the former British commander said.

This possibility arises from a highly complex relationship between the Pakistan government, the Taliban, the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, Al Qaeda and other Jihadists within Pakistan, he explained. “That’s the significant threat that shouldn’t be forgotten — of terrorists getting armed with nuclear material. I am not suggesting that they will necessarily use them as nuclear missiles but the material itself could be used to weaponize Taliban or Jihadists in Afghanistan”, Kemp explained.

The former British army officer also accused Iran, China and Russia of supporting the Taliban while describing India as a possible constructive player in the region which is likely to be kept out of the developments. “Iran has also played a significant role in funding and equipping the Taliban and has directly contributed to this victory. They supported, assisted, funded and armed Jihadists, particularly to run the campaign to kill the US and British forces in Afghanistan”, Kemp alleged.

He said China paid the Taliban to chase and kill rebel leaders and said that it would now look to “plunder” Afghanistan’s resources. “India is probably the only regional player that can play a constructive role in Afghanistan but is likely to be kept out by both Pakistan and China”, the former British commander said.

“Russia and China will use Afghanistan as a weapon against the West, particularly the US”, Kemp said. Arguing that the “unconditional withdrawal” of the American troops made the current outcome in Afghanistan almost “predictable and guaranteed”, Kemp said the expedited withdrawal of the US forces by the President Joe Biden administration made the outcome even more swift. The decision to withdraw forces dampened the spirits of the Afghanistan government, whose forces already had an allegiance issue, made worse by corruption and irregular payment of soldiers, the Colonel said.

The British commander also raised concerns that the development could lead to refugee problems that can come Former British Commander cautions Taliban may get control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons – Indian Defence Research Wing idrw.org/former-british-commander-cautions-taliban-may-get-control-of-pakistans-nuclear-weapons knocking at Europe’s door eventually and opined that he had no doubts that Afghanistan would go back to “dark, aggressive and violent rule like before” as the new lot was “nothing different than 2001”.

Taliban’s return in Afghanistan would embolden Jihadists across the globe and Afghanistan would become a safe haven for them, he contended. Rubbishing Biden’s claims that one of the main reasons for the American troops withdrawal was to counter China and Russia, Kempt argued that it will “actually have the opposite effect”.

The Jihadists would perceive the US as weaker and it would embolden them to go against the West and the US in particular. Also the countries we (the West) were hoping would come to our side would ask questionsabout our reliability, he said.

“It will undermine the US’ prestige”, he concluded. Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, an Israeli intelligence and security expert who has in the past served as the head of the research division in the Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence Division, and was Director General of the Israel Ministry of Strategic Affairs, argued on similar lines, stressing that American allies in the Middle East, including Israel, would find it difficult to rely on Washington’s assurances and the important lesson for them would be to focus on building their own capability to counter threats.

As news of the fall of Kabul flashed in the media on 15 August, Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, formerly a professor of Law at the University of Kashmir and the Central University of Kashmir gave vent to his euphoria. “And say truth has come and falsehood has vanished away”, he tweeted a Koranic verse with its English translation. “Falsehood is indeed bound to vanish”, Showkat commented, without linking his expression explicitly to Kabul’s capture by Taliban.

Showkat embellished his tweet with Iqbal’s famous verse: “Yaqeen-e-mahkam amal-e-peham mohabat-e-fatih-e-aalam. Jihad-e-zindagani mein yeh hain mardon ki shamsheeren.”

“Can’t imagine the feeling of Kashmiris”, commented one Shoaib. Another follower appreciated: “Aap kii baat sach nikli”-acknowledging that the retired university teacher’s prophecy had come true. Almost all of Prof. Showkat’s eight books have been released and appreciated by Kashmir’s tallest separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Two days back, when the news of the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s escape to Tajikistan was circulating in the social media, Showkat cryptically tweeted a Kashmiri folk stanza, linking Kashmir to Kabul and Kandahar. “Ashraf Ghani in supersonic retreat”, he observed, with praise on the Taliban co-founder Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar and a tangent on the third Ghani-senior separatist leader and former chairman of now defunct and disintegrated Hurriyat Conference, Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat. Bhat, an erudite, moderate separatist, perceived to be Geelani’s bete noire, has been living in oblivion since long.

But why are the separatists, militants and their supporters in Kashmir silent, even in social media, over Taliban’s conquest in Kabul if they are perceptibly happy?

“Anything they perceive to be India’s defeat or embarrassment and Pakistan’s gain makes them obviously exultant. For many of them, it stirs their adrenaline. Had it happened in 2018 or before, there would have been nightlong firecrackers and celebrations on the streets in downtown Srinagar”, reasons a senior political analyst. He recollects the jubilation triggered by release of five top militants in exchange for Rubaiya Sayeed in December 1989.

“But by the time Taliban sprouted and their friendly Jaish-e-Mohammad (previously known as Harkatul Mujahideen) forced India to release three top notch militants with the hijacking of IC-814 (in December 1999), much of the euphoria had died down in the valley. Pakistan had lost the war in Kargil and the security forces, with the help of (counterinsurgent) Ikhwanis, had almost wiped out the militancy”, said the analyst, a former professor of Political Science at the University of Kashmir.

The situation created by dismissal of Mehbooba Mufti’s soft-separatist government in June 2018, death of 40 CRPF personnel in a major terror strike in February 2019 and abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A, coupled with the State’s split into two Union Territories in August 2019, are believed to have muted not only the valley’s vociferous separatist camp but also its support structure in the mainstream politics.

Courtesy : DEFENCE AVIATION

The inevitability of Taliban control over the whole of Afghanistan within a year or two of the US leaving the country was quite well appreciated. What was not appreciated was the speed with which it happened.

According to reports, the Taliban is already in control of Kabul whose fall now coincides with the Independence Day of India. Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad, two important and big cities were taken by the Taliban a few days earlier; the Afghan Army soldiers and local warlords at Mazar-e-Sharif fled to neighbouring Uzbekistan. This situation has come about even before the complete withdrawal of the US that is supposed to culminate officially on August 31, even though there is very less left to withdraw any more.

There is a scramble in the Embassies to vacate even despite the insurgents giving an assurance to “protect life, property and honor (of foreigners and Afghan civilians) and create a peaceful and secure environment.”

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had addressed the nation through a televised speech. He did not have much to offer except a commitment to remobilize the Armed Forces which does not seem to be feasible any longer. He spoke of being in consultation with local leaders and international partners, but here again not much support for him or his government is expected to come by. It is said that he too has fled from Afghanistan.

President Biden has made it quite clear that he is unlikely to change his decision of complete withdrawal. He has, in fact, authorized the deployment of 5,000 troops to help evacuate citizens and ensure a safe “drawdown” of US personnel in Afghanistan, according to Reuters. “Look, we spent over a trillion dollars over 20 years. We trained and equipped over 300,000 Afghan forces. Afghan leaders have to come together. They’ve got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation,” he asserted.

There is a lot of truth in what the US President has said. The moderate elements in Afghanistan had more than two decades to politically marginalize the Taliban and build a healthy democracy. The Afghan Government has also been provided with all wherewithal, money and training to build well equipped Armed Forces and other security forces. it has, sadly, failed to make the necessary progress. It is quite surprising and shameful that a 300,000 plus trained and well equipped army would succumb to a motley and ill organized group of militants in such a short time span.

A lot many fingers are pointing towards Pakistan as the main reason behind the Taliban resurgence. It is said that there are more than 30000 troops of the Pakistan army operating in Afghanistan along with the Taliban. They are also providing the military leadership and tactical planning for the offensive. Pakistan is an expert in camouflaging its regular army troops and sending them to fight as civilian mercenaries. It did so in 1947-48, 1965 and the Kargil war against India. In Afghanistan too it has done so earlier when the Russians were in control of the country. The possibility of it having done so again in Afghanistan is not beyond the realm of reality.

The rebuttal to these allegations is coming from the abrasive Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. “The lack of will to fight, the capitulation that we are seeing in Afghanistan… Can we be held responsible for that? No, we cannot,” Qureshi said in an interview to Reuters, adding that Pakistan supported a political solution to bring peace to Afghanistan

What Qureshi is conveniently sidelining is that Pakistan, for long, was the conduit from where the aid went to Afghanistan. How much of it was siphoned off is something that can only be speculated. Pakistan has also been responsible for giving shelter to the Taliban when it was most vulnerable. Dubious business rackets of the Taliban like drugs and arms trade, kidnapping and extortion etc have been run from Pakistani soil. A lot that is going wrong in Afghanistan is due to its “Islamic” neighbour.

What Pakistan is not realising is that getting involved in Afghanistan is something that it can ill afford given its own fragile economic condition, unless of course its misadventure is being financed by China. The situation is ideal for what China does best – “wait and watch till an opportunity advantageous to it comes by and then pounce.” However, the euphoria with which Pakistan and Taliban are defying the US and the rest of the world due to dependence upon China is something that they will pay a heavy price for.

The strategic decision of President Biden to stay away can be accepted on merit but the world cannot stay aloof to the humanitarian tragedy that is unfolding in the country. There are reports of lakhs of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) running from war zones. With the fighting shifting to urban centers the situation is becoming all the more critical, soon Kabul will be in no position to sustain the wave of humanity seeking safety and sustenance. Something will have to be done by the international community, The US, in particular, is honor bound to take lead in the initiative.

The evolving situation is not in favour of India which stands to lose its considerable economic assets created in Afghanistan over time. India has already evacuated from Mazar-e-Sharif and has advised its nationals to get back before the commercial flights stop. The strategic and security concerns which come with a Talibanised and inimical Afghanistan wholly under the tutelage of China and Pakistan are also very much alive now.

The country will be called upon to play a crucial role when the world starts grappling with the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. India has always helped humanity in distress and will definitely play a proactive role now too.

Strategically speaking it may become imperative for the West to get nearer to Afghanistan to keep an eye on the country, this will be feasible only if India reclaims its territories of Gilgit-Baltistan now under illegal occupation of Pakistan. It is time to look at this option closely. It is, therefore, not the end of the road for India, the work has in fact just begun.

Courtesy : DEFENCEINFO.COM

The Taliban’s advances have pushed foreign governments into swift action. The U.S. and Britain have deployed thousands of troops to evacuate their citizens and pull out their embassy staff from the capital Kabul. The Pentagon also said that 3,000 U.S. troops would be deployed to Kabul. However, it was made clear that they would not be used to launch attacks against the Taliban. India also closed its consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif. Developments so far:

The government had controlled all 34 provincial capitals and more than half of the country’s 421 districts before May 1, 2021 (when international troops started withdrawing). At present, the Taliban controls two-thirds of Afghanistan with control over at least 17 provincial capitals. Taliban has taken control of Kandahar (Afghanistan’s second-biggest city), Lashkar Gah, the capital of neighbouring Helmand province, capital of Logar province (50 km from Kabul) and is inching closer to Kabul. With half of the provincial capitals under their control, the militants are surrounding Kabul from all sides. Rise of TalibanImpact on Afghanistan’s Neighbours:

After capturing the districts, the Taliban turned their focus to the border crossings. They seized the Sher Khan Bandar crossing with Tajikistan, the Islam Qila crossing with Iran and Spin Boldak with Pakistan. By taking these crossings, the Taliban squeezed the Kabul government out of critical revenues. The control over the northern border would allow the insurgents to check potential aid coming from neighbouring countries to their enemies in the future if a 1990s-type civil war happens to break out. Is Kabul in danger?

The fall of Ghazni, Herat and Kandahar are the heaviest setbacks to the government so far in the war. Ghazni is on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, roughly 150 km south of Kabul, linking the Taliban-controlled areas with the capital city. Clearly, the Taliban are encircling Kabul from all sides.

Kashmir with its picturesque views & pristine surroundings is rightly known as the ‘Heaven on Earth’. Situated in the heart of Himalayas, Kashmir is blessed with its rich flora and fauna, wildlife sanctuaries, snow clad mountains, cultural heritage & world famous pilgrimage destinations.

With its breath taking views, Kashmir has become a favourite tourist destination attracting visitors not just from India but also from all over the world.

Tourism Industry in the state as a whole has grown significantly, hence resulted in upliftment of local service industry. These include hospitality, retail outlets & other small scale sectors.

Tourism accounted for 7% of state’s GDP according to govt figures. It thus possesses immense potential of enhancing the infrastructural development & generation of employment opportunities. Various locals are directly or indirectly associated with tourism. It provides employment opportunities to even people who lack specialized skills like guides, porters, etc. There are different types of tourism like eco-tourism, pilgrimage tourism, adventure tourism & medical tourism. So the scope of tourism industry is very large.

Tourism is not only providing economic benefits but it is also placing Kashmir on the national as well as international map. Some of the famous tourist destinations in the Kashmir includes Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Srinagar, Amarnath Cave. Many unknown places are now being developed as a tourist destination by showcasing its natural beauty through conduct of various events by Army in collaboration of civ adm and government departments.

A morning glory at the window satisfies more than the metaphysics of books

The factors which led to increase in number of tourists in the Valley is the improving security situation & proactiveness of the govt towards developing infrastructure. In last couple of years, security situation has improved a lot.

People of valley have realised that peace is the only way forward. Govt has taken steps in promoting tourism in the Valley by building infrastructure, highlighting the beauty of Kashmir through advertisements.

Authorities have put in tremendous efforts in tackling of COVID-19. Max population above 18 years is vaccinated. Ganderbal district has become 100% vaccinated district.

The main beneficiaries of inflow of tourists are the locals. The livelihood of people depend on the cash flow generated by the tourists. Also 7-15% share of the GDP of the union territory is from tourism industry. With the continuous improvement of security situation in Valley & good connectivity of Srinagar airport with other airports of the country, it is estimated that footfall of tourists will only increase in the coming years.

Going to mountain is like going home

Courtesy : Ali Fayyaz

Pakistans consistent efforts to portray the apparent distraught human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir referring to vague and unrealistic figures of troop presence and the nature of violence that apparently occurs on a daily basis has not only led to a creation of bland and superfluous narrative over the years but has been irritating those being approached by the Pakistani government on the Kashmir issue.

In European Union (EU) circles, the Pakistani narrative is referred to as the “‘K’acophony”. Usage of this jargon has become common among EU members who tend to ignore the push made by Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Western countries are increasingly beginning to believe that there is no role for them to play in the Kashmir issue and that the matter has to be settled through dialogue between the two countries.

The pressure being built by the Pakistani government is thus having a reversal effect. The traditional practice of sending out letters at the highest levels by the Pakistani government on a regular basis to their counterparts in different countries on alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir has only made the issue appear redundant and insipid.

Moreover, such efforts have led to the realisation that this is part of diversionary tactics by Pakistan to take away global attention from the internal problems it faces. A careful analysis of the trend indicates that over a period of time, the Kashmir issue has lost traction with the international community/institutions.

In some cases while the Pakistani side has raised the Kashmir issue, the concerned foreign agency in turn has asked the Pakistani side to first clean their own house on the human rights front.

The UNHRC, at its leadership level, appears to be seriously concerned about human rights violation in Pakistan including the ongoing harassment of ordinary people in the form of continued detention, denial of rights to freedom of expression, restrictions on public assembly, pressure faced by journalists and alleged use of unlawful means of dealing with general crime.

The UNHRC has also been concerned about the situation in Pakistan occupied Kashmir which remains pathetic as far as human rights condition and freedom of expression is concerned.

In the last two months, with glaring human rights violation surfacing in Pakistan, the UNHRC feels that there is need for introspection by the Pakistani government on gross human rights violations on various fronts including efforts to suppress the voice of the minorities.

The UNHRC also feels there is need for teams from the UNHRC Working Groups, dealing with “enforced and involuntary disappearances” as well as “torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”, to visit Pakistan to assist the government in formalising legislations on “enforced disappearances” and “torture”. This would have to be preceded by a thorough assessment of the ground situation that prevails in Pakistan.

The UNHRC also feels that Pakistan should bear responsibility for assisting Afghanistan in sustaining the spirit of human rights, especially in the case of women and girls. The UNHRC feels that functional requirements of the UNHRC in Afghanistan should also be assisted and facilitated by Pakistan to the extent possible considering the latter has a significant hold over the government in Afghanistan.

There is a realization among European nations and also among international organisations working in Pakistan to exert pressure on Pakistan to first clear its own mess and also help Afghanistan build a transparent and homogeneous society free of any human rights violation before any recognition is accredited to the help and assistance sought by Pakistan from the international community. Much though Pakistan might try to draw the attention of the world to the Kashmir issue, the fact remains that the world’s focus now is on Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s credibility would depend on how it delivers on this front, while clearing up its own mess.

Courtesy : IANS

Islamabad police on Tuesday baton-charged young doctors outside the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) building while they were protesting against the government’s decision to make the National Licensing Examination (NLE) mandatory for registration.

The protest turned violent when the police resorted to baton-charge and fired tear gas at the demonstrators, prompting some of them to barge into the PMC building.

Later, the police detained around 20 doctors and dispersed the remaining through the use of force, according to a statement from the Young Doctors Association (YDA).

The YDA then called an emergency meeting at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) chaired by its president Dr Haider Abbasi, in which the association issued an ultimatum to the government to order the release of the arrested doctors. They threatened to go on a countrywide strike if the police kept the doctors under detention.

In a statement, Islamabad police said the protesters attempted to break into the PMC building and vandalise the property.

The police said some “miscreants” in the meanwhile pelted police with stones and as a result, SP Saddar Zone was injured.

“Tear gas was used to stop and disperse protesters and to prevent damage to the government property,” the police statement said.

It said peaceful protest was the right of every citizen but damage to the government property could never be allowed.

Contention over NLE The PMC has made it mandatory for all graduates who are currently doing a house job or are ready for it to clear the NLE exam for their permanent registration. Both MBBS and BDS students must have to clear the NLE for a permanent job and to practice medicine in Pakistan. The move has agitated the medical fraternity which has been protesting for the last many months.

In October 2019, President Dr Arif Alvi had promulgated an ordinance that dissolved the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and established the PMC. A day later, the NHS ministry sealed the council building and fired its 220 employees.

The PMC has three components: the Medical and Dental Council, the National Medical and Dental Academic Board and the National Medical Authority.

Under section 21 of the PMC Ordinance 2019, it will be mandatory to pass the NLE to obtain a provisional and full license to practice in Pakistan. The National Medical Authority will hold the NLE at least twice a year according to a schedule approved by the council and it will be applicable to all students graduating after March next year.

After its promulgation, the Medical Teachers Association had termed the NLE an “eyewash” arguing it couldn’t ensure the quality of education in medical and dental colleges.

In a recent protest in Rawalpindi against the PMC decision, the YDA had said it was the responsibility of the government to improve the standard of education and without improving the standard of education there was no point of taking an extra exam.

While in August this year, PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi had defended the NLE, saying: “The conduct of the first National Licensing Examination has paved the way for standardisation of healthcare delivery in our nation.”

He had said the NLE was now the standard expected from a healthcare practitioner for a license to practice and be certified as a safe doctor. “As the healthcare regulator, it is our legal and moral duty towards the 220 million Pakistani people we serve that only safe, skilled and competent doctors become part of the healthcare system,” according to PMC head.

Courtesy : DAWN

GILGIT BALTISTAN: In violation of international laws, has been exploiting the scope of uranium enrichment in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, confirmed locals and political activists from the occupied region.

Sources in said a team of Pakistani experts from the Atomic Energy Material Centre (AEMC) had visited the Haider Abad area of , and Ghizer areas of Gilgit Baltistan. They too visited an enrichment sitelocated near the Dargai village in Malakand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for uranium exploration.

Earlier thair were reports that Pakistan has given a free hand to China mining companies to plunder natural resourcess in Gilgit Baltistan.There are reports that over 2,000 leases for mining of gold, uranium and molybdenum have been illegally awarded to Chinese firms by the Pakistan government in occupied Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza, a political activist and journalist from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) said, “Chinese geologists along with members on mining corporation were in the Hunza-Nagar district. They were accompanied by a team of Pakistan military geologists.

Together they visited mountains in Hunza valley and Nagar which are said to be rich in uranium and other minerals mostly used in nuclear and space technology.” He added, “Certain areas of upper Hunza, like the valley were leased by government out to China.

The details of the lease have never been made public. However, these have become no-go areas even for the Pakistan army as the Chinese continue to work on tunnel building and mineral exploration. Chinese miners have also acquired the lease in Astore district to extract high-quality copper”.

Dr Mirza told ANI that the company digging uranium in Gilgit Baltistan is Shahzad International, which is considered to be one of the largest lease-owning foreign contractors in the region. “Reports of applying crude methods and indiscriminate blasting techniques are being used for excavation.

This is causing extensive environmental damage since Chinese-made, gasoline-powered rock drills both on the surface and underground are being used. This is not only detrimental to the miner’s health, but it also causes irreversible ecological damage. Heavy deforestation is also taking place in the area.”

Moreover, Pakistan has also been exploring the possibility of uranium mining in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province.

The area of Dargai village in Pakistan has been of interest to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for mining uranium, under the New Gudi Khel Uranium Mining Project.

The project, with an estimated cost of Pakistani Rs 2,416 million, was slated to be implemented during 2020-2025.

However, it has been delayed for various reasons. As per plans, 36 wells are to be drilled to facilitate uranium enrichment through a process of In Situ Leach (ISL) to produce 125 tons of uranium over 5 years.

Exploration of uranium is a critical subject and of concern to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the international community. Pakistan has been carrying out these explorations without informing the concerned international agencies.

Courtesy : ANI

The killing of the teachers took the number of civilians killed in the Kashmir Valley in the last five days to seven, including four from the valley’s minority communities.

This is an attempt to create an atmosphere of fear and to give it a communal colour so as to damage the communal harmony in Kashmir.

In a horrific attack in Jammu and Kashmir two school teachers were shot dead by terrorists on Thursday. The terrorist attack took place in Eidgah Sangam, a downtown area of Srinagar where the two teachers were dragged from the classroom and shot dead by the terrorists.

The victims – Satinder Kaur and teacher Deepak Chand were both residents of Allochi bagh. The heinous attack took place two days after terrorists had killed three other civilians, including a prominent Kashmiri Pandit Makhan Lal Bindroo .

This comes as yet another attack in recent days. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba too has threatened and warned that minorities and other locals will be targeted.

There is a sense of fear among minorities, few days back a Kashmiri Pandit was killed and yesterday again a Sikh and Kashmiri Pandit has been killed.

People are saying that everyone is getting killed in Kashmir which is true, even Muslims are getting killed they are being targeted for being patriotic Indians but here if you look then the principal and teacher did not follow any narrative, they were just professionals teaching kids so that they have a brighter future.

Now these people were killed to pass a certain message to everyone in the country that if you come to Kashmir we will kill you and I think we are sending a wrong message to Kashmir.

The way govt is trying to bring back the Kashmiri Pandits, it is a threat to them that they should not return. These attackers are also those who support the Taliban design.

This is an attempt to defame local Muslims of Kashmir. Killing innocent civilians including teachers is a move to attack and damage the age-old tradition of communal harmony and brotherhood in Kashmir.

Killing innocents is a conspiracy to “target local ethos and values” which will be defeated by the police and people collectively.

A demonstration against targeted killings and fake encounters in Balochistan was recently held in front of Berlin Gate in Germany.

The Baloch protesters were holding placards and banners and chanted slogans against inhumane atrocities in Pakistan’s resource-rich Balochistan.

During the demonstration, the speakers urged the international community to speak out against the killing of political activists in fake encounters by Pakistani forces in Balochistan.

President of Baloch National Movement Germany Zone Hammal Baloch, General Secretary Asghar Ali, BRP Germany member Fawaz Baloch and local social activists addressed the gathering. Speakers termed the new series of targeted killings of missing persons in fake encounters as a human tragedy.

BNM Germany Zone President Hamal Baloch said that the killing of political activists in fake encounters in the custody of Pakistani intelligence agencies for years is a continuation of Baloch genocide and if international human rights organizations remain silent on such atrocities a human tragedy could arise in Balochistan.

Asghar Ali Baloch, General Secretary, BNM Germany Zone, while addressing the program, said that in the last two months, 28 Baloch missing persons have been killed by the Pakistan Police, Counter-Terrorist Department in fake encounters. All of those killed in fake encounters were the victims of enforced disappearances by the intelligence agencies.

Asghar Baloch said that in the last two decades, the Pakistani occupation forces have inflicted a number of atrocities on Balochistan, ranging from enforced disappearances of people to imprisonment and inhumane punishments, and later throwing their mutilated bodies on the roadside or in inhabited places.

But the atrocities of Pakistan are not coming to a halt in the foreseeable future. On the contrary, the state is increasing its oppression day by day.

Asghar Baloch added that in the last two decades, the state of Pakistan has forcibly disappeared thousands of Baloch activists, who have been held in Pakistani torture cells without charge and are serving sentences for crimes that they never committed.

Now Pakistan is committed to killing the Baloch Missing Persons in fake police encounter in order to thwart the Baloch Missing Persons movement.

One of the examples is the case of Saddam Baloch. He was a member of the Baloch National Moment, who was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces from Karachi in April 2018 and has just been killed in a fake encounter.

Baloch Republican Party (BRP) member Fawaz Baloch slammed the CTD for killing missing persons in fake encounters and said that it was our national responsibility to stop any repression on Baloch and Balochistan.

And if we remain silent, Pakistan will not hesitate to use all kind of opperession to suppress the Baloch national movement. He said that we are here to expose Pakistani atrocities in Balochistan.

Courtesy : ANI

A research analyst at the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) has expressed concern over religious schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan becoming breeding grounds for terrorists.

In her virtual speech at the 48th session of UN Human Rights Session Anne Heckendorff said, “It is well-known that the menace of terrorism in South Asia has largely grown out of religious schools, the so-called Madrassas. These schools that often times instil a distorted, ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam still flourish uninhibitedly in Pakistan and Afghanistan”.

She said, “The Taliban and the dreaded Haqqani network were born from such Madrassas in Pakistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and other terrorist organisations continue operating such terror factories in Pakistan under the protection of the country’s powerful intelligence agency”.

In Pakistan and Afghanistan, there are numerous illegal madrasas’ or religious schools which force the youth towards jihad’ or holy war. They teach them hatred against other religions and motivate them towards gun culture.

Heckendorff told UNHRC, “The International Community must not be appeased with the Taliban’s false promises of education. What is schooling worth, if instead of raising a workforce capable of leading their country onto a path of peace and development, creates foot soldiers indoctrinated into a worldview defined by misogyny and hatred?”

“The lack of economic independence of the Taliban and their patron State next door has a silver lining: it gives leverage to the international community. Leverage that must be used to prevent the loss of another generation of young Afghans to Madrassa-bred radicalism”, she said in her speech.

The research analyst concluded by saying, “Placing conditions on diplomatic and economic engagement to ensure human rights-conform education, without which the right to development can hardly be realized, is the most meaningful investment we can make in Afghanistan’s future”.

Courtesy : ANI