The main elite of Afghanistan are the Afghan warlords, and these Afghan Taliban have emerged from these warlord families. These are the same old warriors which pushed out the British Empire and thereafter USSR, and now the mighty Americans as well. Most of them are migrants from central Asia.
The forces including USA brought Karzai and Ashraf Ghani to fulfil their agenda and now the American forces have disappeared leaving behind their ‘imported’ government leaders at the mercy of the Taliban. Now is the time that USA should have done something more for their created Afghan salves for their own agenda.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan after emerging victorious in the civil war of the 1990s after successfully eliminating the Soviets from Afghanistan with the help of their friends. The group took power in Kabul in 1996 and ruled the country until September 2001, as the US-led foreign military invasion took place in Afghanistan to hunt for leaders of the al-Qaida terrorist network for their alleged role in the 9/11 attacks.
After being ousted from power, the Taliban have been waging war against the U.S to regain power. They have now taken control of more than half of Afghanistan and waiting to march to Kabul. The Afghan peace talks didn’t seem to come about a conclusion until recently when the US military finally departed from its key base in Afghanistan already before the deadline that was due on September 11 2021. The talks had been going on for two decades since 2001, no one was ready to agree to a settlement.
Sometimes, the process stalled for political reasons, such as the United States restraint to talk with the Taliban or sometimes due to break down of discussion out of miscommunications or a lack of political consensus or strategies a move to prolong the stay in Afghanistan. Until 2010, the process remained slow and halting, it was Pakistan which convinced the Taliban to join the peace processes conferences.
The credit obviously goes to General Qamar Javed Bajwa and great spy Master Lt Gen Faiz Hamid. Pakistan always played positive role for peace. In August 2019, The U.S. and Taliban signed an agreement in principle on counter-terrorism and military withdrawal an eventual ceasefire. Pakistan’s role as a facilitator has been significant in the Afghan Peace Process since it always remained present at the negotiating table.
Finally, in February 2020, Donald Trump and the Taliban signed an agreement in Doha in which all foreign forces were supposed to quit Afghanistan by May 2021 but as the government changed in America in January 2021, the new President Joe Biden extended the deadline to September 2021 for evacuation.
Now, following another change in plan, Joe Biden administration has all of a sudden started its evacuation flights already since last week without revealing about the destinations. They are also looking for another territory to host the thousands of special Afghan immigrants who worked for USA while leaving the rest of the population and Afghan Govt at the mercy of Taliban. All of it is now concluding without a political settlement which is dangerous and threatening for the entire region. Taliban have not offered anything in return so far to Americans except insisting on their demand to expedite the early exit of US army and even they have refused to talk to Afghan government.
As the process of withdrawal is already underway, Kabul is destined to fall in the hands of Taliban that too with the consent of USA and the Afghan govt will have to face a full-blown civil war. As far as Pakistan is concerned, a power-sharing arrangement would benefit out interests in Afghanistan. Pakistan cannot afford to have a government that is friendlier with India as in that case the soil of Afghanistan will continue to be used against Pakistan.
Pakistan, since day one, has been doing its best to bring peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan sheltered millions of Afghan refugees, made tireless efforts for peace process for a political settlement, and stability in Afghanistan. The invasion of Afghanistan was part of the world powers agenda which is unfolding with the passage of time. President Ashraf Ghani continues to be in the trap of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his anti-Pakistan agency RAW and extremist organisation RSS.
The world must not forget that India is fully supporting training and operations of Daesh and other terrorist organisations. It has fully geared up and increasing its 5th generation warfare against Pakistan for which some anti-Pakistan paid elements in Afghanistan shall be used. The signature of Indian involvement in terrorist activities have already been found in recent attacks in KPK, Baluchistan, and the recent Lahore blast. Pakistan has always hoped that Afghan government will eliminate Indian-sponsored nurseries harboring terrorists.
President Ashraf Ghani is naively thinking that India will save him and his disheartened troops from Taliban. Kabul is now about to fall in the hands of Taliban and the prominent Haqqani network is transiting from the thorny warpath to throne of Afghanistan. President Ashraf Ghani should have not blamed Pakistan and also should not have resisted the proposed peace conference. The peace conference proposed by Pakistan would have brought some positive outcome for all Afghan factions including the Taliban to come to one page for an interim set up.
Present occupants of Kabul should open their eyes and recognise the hard fact that Taliban have emerged as the only power in Afghanistan now. It looks that Taliban will take over Kabul soon with or without violence. I hope and pray that all stakeholders will try to stop the civil war in the greater interest of Afghan people.