There are angry reactions to talk of a defence pact with Pakistan. Mohammad Reza Gulkohi and Akhtar Mohammad Nekzad follow the debate.
There are angry reactions to talk of a defence pact with Pakistan. Mohammad Reza Gulkohi and Akhtar Mohammad Nekzad follow the debate.Talking to the media on the sidelines of the UN Security Council meeting in New York Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar revealed her government was seeking to sign a strategic treaty with Afghanistan. British Prime Minister David Cameroon was assisting the trilateral talks, she said.
On Sep 30, in an informal session in Parliament, members expressed sharp opinions against a long-term Pakistan-Afghan agreement along the lines of bilateral treaties signed over the past year with several countries including India and the US.
Mohammad Noor Akbari, the head of international affairs commission in parliament, said, “Afghanistan is not in a strong position to negotiate a strategic treaty with Pakistan. Before signing the agreement, the rocket firing in eastern Afghanistan and the suicide attacks from across the border must stop.”
National interest
Sayed Ali Kazimi, member of parliament (MP) from Kabul, said the draft of a strategic agreement with Pakistan needs serious consultation and thorough analysis. Afghanistan should not take any action from a position of weakness, he advised.
MP Fawzia Koofi said a treaty with Pakistan would be against national interest. “President Karzai must consider national interest in foreign policy. Decisions should be based on this principle.”
Civil society activist Jawed Zafari has also expressed caution. “Strategic treaties are signed between countries with common interests and goals. We cannot say Pakistan is a suitable partner.”
Talks about an Afghan-Pakistan strategic treaty have coincided with the continuing bombing of the eastern border. Afghan soldiers are massed at Goshta and Lalpor districts in Nangarhar which has been a target of recent rocket attacks. Hundreds of families have fled their homes. Governor of Nangarhar, Gul Agha Sherzai, has warned Pakistan that Afghan soldiers will attack if the bombing persists. He also sent a letter protesting against the firing to the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad. It is the first time that a provincial governor has sent a written complaint directly to Islamabad.
Tribal leaders from Goshta and Lalpor districts met in Jalalabad to discuss the issue with provincial authorities. Jahanzeb Khan, chief of the Mohmand tribe said his people were ready to fight against Pakistan alongside Afghan soldiers. “We are not ready to give up a piece of our land to Pakistan,” he declared.
MP Faridoon Mohmand who is from Goshta district, said a delegation of eight tribal leaders have crossed the border to discuss the rocket firings with Pakistani authorities.
Political parties are also divided on whether the government should seek long-term cooperation with Pakistan. The main opposition, National Coalition of Afghanistan, have made their antagonism clear. Pakistan must change its policies before attempting to strengthen relations with its western neighbour, they feel.
Counterterrorism first
Sayed Hussain Fazel Sancharaki, the spokesman of the National Coalition, believes, “Pakistan should show it can be trusted by countering terrorism. It should close terrorist bases and hand over all extremists to Afghanistan. In this case both countries can cooperate in all fields. Until this issue is solved, discussion on a strategic document seems to be nonsense.”
The Right and Justice Party announced its support for a possible Afghan-Pakistan strategic treaty at a press conference on Sep 30. Hamidullah Farooqi, the party spokesman, said the pact must be prepared with exactness and in consultation with all the different sides. “Our request from the government is that the issue should be discussed with the people and their views must be incorporated in the agreement. On the continued attacks on our villages, our view is that Pakistan is the aggressor and the attacks must stop. A strategic treaty with Pakistan must guarantee that Pakistan will shut down terrorist bases that have been used against the people of Afghanistan for 30 years,” the spokesman said.
Military expert Noor ul Haq Olumi believes that Pakistan has strategic depth in Afghanistan, and a bilateral treaty must be supervised by the international coalition led by the US. He recalls that Pakistan which had promised in 2001 to not interfere in Afghanistan and secured millions of dollars in assistance, failed to keep its word.
There is also concern that strategic bilateral pacts with India and Pakistan, which are bitter rivals, could be damaging to Afghanistan. Political analyst, Mohammad Asif Baktash, says the current situation is that “India stretches its hands to Afghanistan, but Pakistan sends suicide bombers.” Ever since India became the first country to sign a strategic agreement in October 2011, Pakistan has been doing its best to equal its rival. He believes that a bilateral strategic pact with Pakistan would be “discouraging for India”.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Younus Fakoor, a political expert, warns that Pakistan has frequently reneged on its commitments.
It is obvious that a strategic pact with Pakistan is bound to be contentious and a long time in the making.
