Although the official ceasefire announcement, brokered by Qatar, between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban is a welcome move, it seems to be a temporary suspension of hostilities between the two countries. Given the track record of the Afghan Taliban in general, and their inflamed rhetoric about Afghanistan’s sovereignty in particular, there could be no happy ending unless there’s a noticeable change of mindset, particularly on the part of the Afghan leadership. As strange as it may seem, the recent flare-up between Pakistan and Taliban-led Afghanistan has less to do with current hostilities and more to do with historical fault-lines that have been haunting Pakistan’s western border since the country’s inception in 1947.
A great deal of rage is bubbling beneath the surface, which could lead the neighbouring nations to disastrous consequences at any point in time. This pertains to the fundamental issue that keeps emerging from time to time: the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, divided by the ‘Durand Line’, and Afghanistan’s consistent denial to recognise it as a legitimate border. Therefore, any attempt to diffuse political tensions and thwart military aggression from both sides cannot produce a lasting solution unless the bloodstained history of the disputed Durand Line, along with its far-reaching implications for simmering Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, is taken into consideration to the extent of complete resolution. However, things are not as straightforward as typically projected, as the Afghan’s collective disposition, grounded in perceived racial elitism laced with the myth of military invincibility, tends to be much more profound and solemn than the 1,500-mile-long Durand Line. This stark reality is indeed a perpetual crisis for Pakistan, which is surrounded by a war-torn yet belligerent nation warring with itself on whatever grounds and revels in waging war for the sake of it, with not a flimsiest desire to lead a normal course of life led by a progressive nation.
Unable to discriminate between terrorism and a just fight, this jingoistic mindset is further fueled by India, which provides an all-encompassing financial, diplomatic, military, and technical support to the banned TTP and other militant groups operating from the Afghan soil to help them stage deadly attacks in Pakistan and target both security personnel and civilians in large numbers. Even though there is overwhelming evidence that Afghanistan has become an ideal haven for terrorist groups at the behest of New Delhi, the Afghan Taliban’s refusal to lend an ear to Islamabad’s grievances duly exposes the moral bankruptcy of Afghan leadership, wearing religion on its sleeves while inflicting the utmost misery on its immediate neighbour holding the same faith besides hosting over 4 million Afghan refugees for over 45 years. There’s a limit to everything. The second round of talks between Islamabad and Kabul is due this month in Istanbul. It is mainly incumbent upon the Afghan regime to seize the moment, exhibit political maturity, and step forward to make genuine and sustainable peace with the neighboring nation. Rod is the logic for fools. But one hopes this time, the Taliban government will be wise enough to read the writing on the wall.