It seems quite appalling when America blames Pakistan to be an enemy instead of a trusted ally. Isn’t it? Our law enforcement agencies have done everything to safe the land from the terrorists nurtured inside and outside of Pakistan. We have also sacrificed a lot of financial as well as non-financial assets. Amidst this situation, the crucial matter that is not being deemed over on both sides is the effective border management.
Pak-Afghan border is one of the vulnerable borders in the world. The war-mongers and drug lords have earned billions of dollars and secured their interests through it. The border is known to be “The Durand Line” and is 2,611km long. Khyber Agency, Bajaur and Mohmand are the highly vulnerable areas which require all-embracing and speedy border management.
America would never like to leave Afghanistan this way as it would be considered its biggest defeat in the history, bigger than the one it faced in Vietnam War. On the other side, it is true that it did not stress over border management to the extent it should have been. Instead of it, US wanted to debilitate the extremists and non-extremists entities with the assistance of Pakistan ignoring the repercussions.
If our border is secured and everybody including the vehicles is repeatedly and appropriately checked, no country including the US will have an excuse to censure Pakistan for terrorists’ infiltration. Pakistan will also be secured from extremists with various aims to cross the border and carry out their reprehensible plan.
Consequently, it is decisive that political and military establishment of US, Pakistan, and even Afghanistan should do their work concerning border management. Until that, the movement of extremists might not be effectively and efficiently be halted, and misconceptions will breed time and again.
JUNAID ALI MALIK,
Lahore, January 11.