Love Thy Neighbour

For a mutually beneficial relationship, Pakistan needs to view Afghanistan beyond just the prism of terrorism

As the time for the US-led NATO forces’ exit from Afghanistan approached, for Pakistan it presented two types of possible outcomes. The desirable scenario: that Afghanistan and Pakistan would evolve an equation of harmonious interaction to mutually overcome the challenges of security and terrorism that have continued to plague the two neighbouring countries for the past three decades, and work together to restore or evolve new mechanisms for the movement of people as a prerequisite for future regional economic integration. The bleaker scenario would be an environment of confusion and lack of interaction/understanding on key issues, with the result that terrorism, negative border dynamics and security could become the dominating themes in the region,

So far, neither the situation in Afghanistan, nor bilateral relations yield much hope. Matters have not progressed according to our expectations and Pakistan’s long-term geo-economic interests. A surge in terrorist activity in Pakistan and its cross-border linkages are impeding bilateral political, economic and people-to-people interaction.

Today the real challenge for Pakistan is how to salvage this situation and steer the relationship towards a healthier momentum. Towards this end, three aspects of relations need close attention.

First, the terrorism emanating from the TTP and affiliated groups is a formidable challenge for Pakistan’s state and society. Contrary to Pakistan’s expectations, TTP-sponsored terrorism and violence in Pakistan increased after the Taliban take-over of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. However, it is important to point out that the TTP is not an inherent part of the Pak-Afghan interaction. Rather, it is a kind of aberration. The group emerged as a reaction to US/NATO actions in the tribal belt in the years following 2001, jeopardising the traditional governance structures that had existed in the area for the past two centuries.

The then Afghan government and intelligence institutions with foreign backing provided TTP members shelter, finance and logistics in order to fulfill two objectives: undertake terrorism in Pakistan and keep the border belt destabilised. Since the Afghan Taliban were undertaking an insurgency in Afghanistan, the TTP was able to cultivate ideological and operational linkages with them. However, it needs to be acknowledged that the Afghan Taliban have never formally endorsed the anti-Pakistan agenda of the TTP. For Pakistan, this has to be an important distinction between the two.

The reason that despite undertaking a comprehensive counter-terrorism (CT) campaign for the past eight years through military operations, the National Action Plan, and the establishment of institutions like NACTA, the evil of the TTP has not been nipped in the bud, it is due to gaps in the CT strategy and its implementation capacity. Cross-border terrorism is just one of the factors behind TTP terrorism in Pakistan. Therefore, what Pakistan needs is an effective national CT strategy within its territory, while cross-border movement of terrorists should be addressed through serious engagement with Afghan institutions and not through a destructive blame-game.

The need for effective border management is the second area of key importance for genial bilateral relations and should be addressed through institutional channels. The 2,600 kilometre-long border runs through a belt inhabited by over 50 million Pushtoons on both sides having deep-rooted social, cultural and economic linkages. The cross-border movement of people on the two sides has historically been free and this will have to be taken into account and separated from the movement of terrorist groups and fighters. It may be recalled that up to the 1970s, the Pakistan’s Government Transport Service buses used to ply the route between Peshawar and Kabul on a regular basis. However, while the world in the 21st century has become more connected, the hindrances in the movement of people between Pakistan and Afghanistan have become more acute.

The two governments have an obligation towards their respective people for instituting appropriate mechanisms for the movement of people. There is an urgent need for modernising border crossing points, to facilitate the documented movement of people and trade. Use of technology and employment of innovative techniques can help in managing the demographic influx and related security challenges. The countries in Europe and SouthEast Asia are following models for facilitating the movement of people; Pakistan and Afghanistan also need to replicate these good practices. Without a proactive approach, the two countries will continue to recede into isolation and not reap the benefits of economic integration.

The third and the last dimension of bilateral relations is the most sensitive one, and that is how the interaction between the two countries should evolve in the coming years. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations in the past four decades have been influenced by the forces of jihad, militancy, insurgency and cross-border terrorism. As a result, the interaction and contacts between the two countries have been largely shaped by security narratives and military or intelligence channels. The people-to-people, political and economic dimensions seem to have gone into the background.

And since these dynamics have been in play for the past few decades, Pakistan’s image in Afghanistan has taken a serious beating. While generally Afghans are cognisant of the importance of Pakistan and to some extent their economic and logistical dependence on Pakistan, negativity of perceptions about Pakistan have continued to progressively increase and this trend has been across-the board. Over the years Afghanistan has also changed in a significant manner with at least 65 per cent of its population (around 25 million) comprising youth who do not relate themselves to militancy and warfare and have aspirations to develop and prosper. In this context, the negative perceptions about Pakistan in Afghanistan cannot be ignored or brushed aside as just the work of hostile lobbies. In fact, lack of clarity and inaction on our part strengthen the hand of our detractors.

Dealing with this challenge requires taking a holistic view of past and present Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, with a view to transform relations through geo-economic compulsions. For the most part, Afghans across all ethnicities and political divides desire close engagement with Pakistan and want a civilised relationship. This should augur well for us. After long years of turmoil in Afghanistan, and its impact on Pakistan, everyone should have learnt their lessons. It is, therefore, important that in its Afghan policy, Pakistan’s focus should be on strengthening state-to-state engagement based on sovereignty and mutual respect. The country’s political leadership has to take the lead and provide guidance in steering the complex dimensions of the relations.

At the public level, the facilitation of people-to-people contact and economic interaction should become a defining element of the state’s policies. Facilitation of movement of people is a fundamental need of the tribes living across the border and should be accorded priority. Despite international restrictions, impetus should be provided to bilateral trade and transit. Pakistan as the biggest neighbour needs to invest more in Afghanistan’s infrastructure and mining sector in a mutually beneficial manner (in the past unfortunately Pakistan did not pursue its development projects in Afghanistan effectively).

Partnerships can be evolved/negotiated with other interested countries for economic projects in Afghanistan, such as with China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. All these countries are cognisant of the centrality of Pakistan’s role in Afghan stability and economic development. However, if Pakistan leaves a vacuum in Afghanistan at this critical moment, others will jump in and fill it to our detriment. This is an established principle of nature and we cannot ignore it.

The bottom line: Don’t just look at Afghanistan from the prism of terrorism; see it as a relationship between two neighbours with common bonds and shared economic and political interests.

The writer is a former ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan