The War that has no Winner

By: Habib Sangar
Syracuse, NY

In his meeting with General Zai of Pakistan in 1978, our late President Daoud, who was so emotional at the moment, had said, “Your strength, your welfare is our welfare and your stability is our stability. Let’s walk hand in hand in the warm glow of brotherhood and sincerity to cover the distance laying ahead of us,,,,,, I hope friendship between Pakistan and Afghanistan will be permanent and everlasting”. Still, I don’t know why it has taken Pakistan that long to realize that fact that both countries need each other more than ever in the past. Instability in Afghanistan is having (and will certainly be having) negative impacts on Pakistan. With its strategic location, Afghanistan can better serve Pakistan, who is in desperate needs for the energy as well as to boost its economy.

The recent assassination of the high profile clergy and chief peace negotiator as well as rockets strike on US embassy in Kabul respectively each carried out by Quetta Shura and alleged Haqqaani network has left Pakistan with making a tough choice. Since the candid statement made by the outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen, on Pakistan’s ISI’s direct support to insurgents groups, and the pressure that has exerted by US authorities on Pakistan, the Pakistani officials have started hastily to seek and maintain supports of Chinese and Saudi officials. That’s because to ensure it (Pakistan) is not left alone if the United States makes any such decision. However, I don’t see a prosperous future, neither for Pakistan nor to Afghanistan in losing their strategic ally, such as the United States. China and India as emerging hegemonies in the region (both in terms of economic and military powers) have seen their interests in a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. With its world class and unique untapped natural resources, Afghanistan attracts both countries (China and India) attention to pursue their stake through a legitimate competition that can be only possible in a stable, prosperous and a well functioning government in Afghanistan that will be working with them jointly.

Thus far, Chinese companies have already started their way to benefit from natural resources that Afghanistan has to offer. I believe, Regional Economic Cooperation among all countries in the region is the only way out of today’s misery. That's going to be a viable solution to the current instability both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since long time ago now, I have been thinking of bringing and bonding regional powers (countries) to a common interest. Nothing can be seen as possible as to address current challenges other than economic dependency that must serve all involved nations equally. If the fruits of such cooperation brings about a positive changes in the daily lives of the people as well as attract Multi- National Companies to invest in different projects, the likelihood of interruption and instability by spoilers, whoever they are, would certainly be not possible.

More than ever before, today poor nations are the main victim of the terrorism. People with less education and low level of understanding of the world as well as the Islam can be easily brain washed and monopolized by the nasty and inhuman personalities. The emergence of strong political institutions, political parties, increased percentage of middle class citizens, who know what their governments do and how they do it, can ensure everlasting peace and stability in the region. The Arab Spring that is still in the path of successes, to some lager extent has awakened people to stand against authoritarians as well as to demand a government to be held accountable and responsible for their citizens. The spillover of today’s Arab Spring to the countries, who saturates financial needs of the terrorism, will ensure cutoff of such resources that today flow to the insurgents from oil rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, who still live with the illusion of making Afghanistan and Pakistan as their ideal sanctuaries of terrorists against human being.

To conclude, yet I don’t see anyone as winner in this war; there won’t be a winner at all. Everyone will get as miserable as people can be found in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan today. Pakistan must revise its strategy of cold war; that era is over long time ago. As the government of Afghanistan just realized, there is no Taliban to talk with; rather than, the Afghan President with a remarkable and wise tone has insisted on talking with Pakistan directly. I think it’s the time for the regional players, especially, China, India, Russia, plus the United States and EU to realize the sensitivity of the situation and the importance of their long term prosperities and stability that I believe is tightly bond with the stability and prosperity of Afghanistan, to take the initiative and bring more pressure on Pakistan to get rid of pursuing its illegitimate interests (what it (Pakistan) seeks to be achieved in destabilizing Afghanistan) in Afghanistan. The Silk Road initiative that once served the region and was a crossroad for merchants, commuting from the South to Central- to East, once again will serve the region toward economic growth and prosperity. Indeed, the realization of such broad objectives requires the emergence of a secured and stable Afghanistan, which as a matter of fact, it is very much appreciated by the world; however, it has to be also appreciated by Pakistan too. The important and strategic location of Afghanistan reminds me of the poem cited by Mohammd Iqbal, a Pakistan’s poet laureate:

The continent of Asia made of water and clay is but one body
In that body the heart is the Afghan nation
The destruction of that nation will result in the destruction of Asia
The prosperity of that nation will bring about the prosperity of Asia
As long as the heart remains free, the body will be free
Otherwise, it will become like a straw on the path of the wind.