Following the announcement of Trump’s new plan for Afghanistan, which is basically the old plan packaged as new with a topping of increased Pakistan-bashing, here is my simple eleven point agenda for Pakistan to implement in its Afghanistan policy.
1. Shut down USAID programmes as well as other US-backed projects involved in subversion operations in Pakistan. Follow up by stopping all kinds of US packages that are given to Pakistani media to push Washington’s policies in the region.
2. Shut down NATO supply routes completely and stand by it. Don’t open them even if US/NATO are willing to offer commercial rates.
3. Convince Russia and/or China to prepare and introduce sanctions against US Army and NATO individuals involved in war crimes in Afghanistan.
4. Officially announce US-India backed Kabul regime as Pakistan’s enemy # 2, only second to India. Follow up with limited sanctions on key individuals of Kabul regime involved in anti-Pakistan terrorism.
5. Go on the offensive, covertly and overtly, in Afghanistan against anti-Pakistan terrorist groups and individuals including ISIS-Khorasan Province. Follow up by naming and shaming countries at the UN that are covertly supporting ISIS-Khorasan Province.
6. Improve and increase US-focused counter-intelligence in Afghanistan, particularly HUMINT capabilities.
7. Announce a parallel pro-Pakistan Afghan government based in Islamabad and get it recognized by as many allied countries as possible.
8. Persuade Russia to invade Afghanistan in near future on behalf of Taliban, who are seen as a legit stakeholder in Afghanistan by all parties (including US).
9. Refuse any kind of US military aid that would put Pakistan’s interests at stake. In fact, it would be far better to refuse US military aid altogether.
10. Officially announce Indian influence and activities in Afghanistan a threat to Pakistan and its national interests. Follow up by making India bleed through a thousand cuts in Afghanistan.
11. Lastly, make sure Pakistan gets a good share out of any deal relating to extraction of minerals from Afghanistan. A war without profit is not a war but stupidity.
This is the eleven point agenda that Pakistan should consider implementing to protect its national interests in the region.
If US wants to play tango with Pakistan, then it’s time to tango.
For decades Pakistanis have been told that Afghanistan is a “brotherly Islamic country” with cultural and people-to-people ties with Pakistan. For decades Pakistan has also consistently faced long and short waves of terrorism and crimes, a good proportion of which can be traced to Afghanistan. When Pakistan helped Afghans against the invading Soviets, Pakistan made the biggest mistake since its independence by giving a safe passage to Afghan refugees into Pakistan. At the time, Pakistan had little idea that it will be stuck with the refugees for the next 30-40 years. Pakistan was hoping to end the war in Afghanistan soon and send back the refugees. What Pakistan didn’t expect was exactly what happened: Pakistan was slapped with sanctions by US government right after Pakistan helped US and Afghans defeat the Red Army in Afghanistan, which eventually led to the collapse of USSR in 1991. Here is almost-US President Hillary Clinton explaining it all very nicely:
Today Pakistan has realized most of its mistakes related to Afghanistan, even though US clearly hasn’t. But there’s one thing Pakistani leaders are still repeating: Afghanistan is our brotherly Islamic neighbor country.
No, it’s not. That is simply a crappy diplomatic line which no one in Pakistan buys anymore. At least not without rolling their eyes. Afghanistan was never a friend of Pakistan. The history of anti-Pakistan terrorism waged from or with support of Afghanistan is quite long and bloody. Here is a declassified CIA document explaining in detail the terrorist activities of Soviet-backed KHAD (Afghan intelligence agency) in and against Pakistan. Editorials and columns in American media addressing Afghan terrorism against Pakistan were a routine back in the day. Here are two from 1988: one from Washington Post and the other from LA Times. Both articles documented here sympathize with Pakistan and talk about the Afghan war of terror, backed by USSR, against Pakistan.
The only difference today is that most of the terrorism in Pakistan is supported in various ways by India-trained NDS (current Afghan intelligence agency) as it wages a war of terror against Pakistan right under the nose of the United States. Today, US is allied with India, the former ally of Soviets. Perhaps in the excitement to counter China, US has forgotten the sacrifices of Pakistan and its people, both of far past and near past. Today several Washington DC think tanks and talking heads blame Pakistan for the terrorism it faces despite Pakistan’s countless anti-terror military ops, all of them proving to be highly successful. The successes of these operations have been acknowledged by US Army’s General John Nicholson, UK Army Chief General Nicholas Patrick Carter and a senior Russian Army delegation. Most recently, a high level US Congressional delegation visited Pakistan and acknowledged Pakistan’s successes against terrorism. But despite all this, the policy in DC so far has been to blame Pakistan for all the troubles in Afghanistan, which is in stark contrast to how US defended and sympathized with Pakistan just a couple of decades back. All the players are still the same, the battlefield is the same, but interests have changed. This is true for both US and Pakistan.
Pakistan-Afghanistan also have nothing in common in culture or people. For starters, Pakistanis are not ungrateful like the Afghans. Afghan culture comes with baggage like abuse of women and children, pedophilia, bestiality, etc. That’s Afghan culture, not Pakistani culture.
Right now the most important thing for Pakistan is to counter the imminent terror threats originating from Afghan soil. That includes ISIS as well as the dozens of madrasas being run by Kabul regime and its intelligence agency where students are being taught to wage Jihad against Pakistan. Pakistan can no longer afford to tolerate this activity in its backyard. For years Pakistan has tried to be apologetic and balance its own interests with the US policy. It is time for Pakistan to put its interests 100% at the top.
Recently Pakistan Army’s spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor, during a press conference, got a question from a PTV journalist. He asked, “for how long will Pakistan be apologetic and when will Pakistan strike terror camps in Afghanistan with cruise missiles?” That question got an amused reaction from the General. But I think the journalist had a point. Pakistan needs to go on full offensive in Afghanistan. The time for apologia is over, as has been evident from Pak Army Chief’s recent tough statement made during meeting with General John Nicholson.
Pakistan’s policy makers can take their time debating which cruise missiles to hit the terror camps in Afghanistan with, but meanwhile it would be a good idea for Pakistan’s policymakers to stop telling Pakistanis that Afghanistan is a brotherly Islamic country.
For years Pakistan has been told by the governments in Washington DC to “do more” against terrorism. But the fact is Pakistan HAS done more, and sacrificed the most, than any other US ally in the fight against terrorism. While there have been constant attempts by New Delhi and Kabul to undermine these successes by continuing to wage terrorism in Pakistan from Afghan soil while employing their assets in media for systematic disinformation, anyone who wants to witness these successes with their own eyes can visit Pakistan and do so. More recently, Sir General John Nicholson, a delegation of US politicians including Lindsay Graham and John McCain, and a Russian Army delegation separately visited Pakistan and acknowledged Pakistan’s successes against terrorism. Beijing, being Pakistan’s closest ally as well as a neighbor, is already aware of Pakistan’s successes and has acknowledged them publicly, repeatedly.
Pakistan recently launched its new anti-ISIS terrorist Operation Khyber-4 as part of the bigger Operation Rudd-ul-Fasaad. Operation Khyber-4 focuses on eliminating ISIS presence from near Pak-Afghan border. The Rajgal Valley, to be more precise. This area is one of main terrorist routes that has been posing a threat to Pakistan’s security for some time now. The takeover of Tora Bora, which is just across the area that is the focus of Operation Khyber-4, by ISIS-Khorasan fighters proved to be the final nail in the coffin. Pak Army decided to act and launched this operation to tackle this threat before it escalates. Two of the best combat units of Pak Army as well as SSG commandos were deployed to take part in this operation. In days, Pakistan was able to announce major strategic victories, including the capture of the strategic top of Brekh.
Now latest reports suggest ISIS-K fighters are on the run towards Afghanistan, which indicates they see Afghanistan as a safe haven. Indeed, several recent reports have suggested that ISIS-K is being quietly supported by elements within Afghan establishment. Besides statements by Russian Foreign Ministry and Afghan MPs indicating US may be helping ISIS-K, there has also been a US surveillance aircraft flying over the area believed to be infested by ISIS-K. Perhaps someone should check if that aircraft is still there.
Regardless of who exactly is supporting ISIS-K in Afghanistan, it is important for Pakistan to take matters into its own hands. While Pakistan has conveyed it to Resolute Support (RS) mission as well as Afghan Army about the anti-ISIS Operation Khyber-4 and requested that they act on the other side of the border, there’s no evidence to suggest that it is happening. DG ISPR said in his last press conference that RS mission and Afghans had not sent forces across the border to make sure ISIS-K fighters don’t flee into Afghanistan. My own assessment says RS and Kabul are not going to help Pakistan a lot in Pakistan’s fight against ISIS-K. Among the major reasons for that is the fact that US doesn’t officially consider ISIS-K as a bigger threat than Afghan Taliban whereas Kabul regime secretly sees ISIS-K as a necessary evil required to keep Afghan Taliban busy. In short, Pakistan shouldn’t expect much from either RS mission or Kabul in the fight against ISIS.
As Pakistan goes after terrorists and as terrorists once again flee into the global safe haven of terrorists known as Afghanistan, there’s only one question left:
It was recently announced by ISPR that Ehsanullah Ehsan has surrendered himself to the Pak Army and now we have his partial video confessional statement. There has been some speculation how Ehsanullah Ehsan ended up in the custody of Pakistan and whether he surrendered willingly as ISPR said in its statement or was he captured in a Pakistani SpecOp in Afghanistan. The fact that Pakistan’s forces have been targeting TTP/JuA camps in Afghanistan recently and maybe even ventured inside Afghanistan in pursuit of terrorists, as reported by some local Afghan journalists, gives weight to the argument that maybe Ehsan was captured in an op. But this is just pure speculation at this point and there’s little to no solid evidence to back it up.
Ehsanullah Ehsan is just another piece in the puzzle of the grand hybrid war that has been waged on Pakistan primarily by India but also backed up in various ways by its allies like Kabul regime in Afghanistan, etc. Ehsanullah Ehsan served as the spokesperson of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and later as a spokesperson of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. He has cheerfully accepted responsibility for hundreds of terrorist attacks in Pakistan in written and recorded audio statements. He has calmly justified the killings of innocent Pakistani civilians and Armed Forces in his fatwas. Ehsanullah Ehsan, by all means, is inhumane and a terrorist. That being said, it is also important to remember here that there are degrees of terrorism and while Ehsanullah Ehsan served as a spokesperson and a propagandist, he never carried out an attack on his own. Instead, he justified the attacks that were carried out by field terrorists, most of who didn’t receive orders by Ehsanullah Ehsan but by someone else, usually a commander or the Emir. Ehsanullah Ehsan has also provided Pakistan with priceless intelligence on his former brothers in TTP/JuA, which Pakistan has likely already used in the operations that it secretly carried out recently in Afghanistan. It is also rumoured that Pakistan may have provided intelligence that came from Ehsanullah Ehsan to U.S. for the MOAB strike on ISIS-K in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. The same MOAB strike that also left over a dozen Indians dead, about who questions are being raised in Pakistan that what were Indians doing with ISIS-K in Nangarhar. While India obviously says that the Indians killed in MOAB strike left India to join ISIS on their own, credible intelligence sources say that they were Indian intelligence operatives who were there to handle and train ISIS-K terrorists. At this point it is important to remember that ISIS-K consists of mostly Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants along with some Uzbeks, who were chased away from Pakistan during Operation Zarb-e-Azb. In reality, ISIS-K is nothing more than a rebranding of old groups and militants. These proxy groups are being used primarily by India and on a lesser extent by Afghan intelligence agency NDS against Pakistan.
If Ehsanullah Ehsan surrendered like the Pak Army says he does, it also means he probably surrendered after striking a deal which probably included assurance from Pakistan that he won’t be hanged in return for intelligence and shunning of militancy. If Ehsanullah Ehsan publicly shuns militancy and apologizes to Pakistani nation on LIVE tv, it is safe to say that he could be given a chance to eventually rehabilitate after serving his punishment and going through a deradicalization program. Ehsanullah Ehsan deserves no mercy, make no mistake about it. And this isn’t about mercy. This is about a state taking wise decisions. So far Ehsanullah Ehsan has served as a pawn of India. Now he must serve as a pawn of Pakistan. Imagine the same Ehsanullah Ehsan, who once defended Taliban and their attacks, starts playing a role in educating the Pakistani public about why his fellow TTP Taliban are wrong and why their ideology is not the real Islam. Ehsan could be instrumental in turning away radicalized Pakistani youth from TTP/JuA and similar groups. That will be a major blow to TTP’s and JuA’s credibility and their overall propaganda effort. This should be Ehsanullah Ehsan’s punishment because hanging him will be too lenient and won’t help Pakistan in a way that keeping him alive would. Keeping him alive will also help bring more possible defections from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which will not only bring a treasure trove of intelligence to Pakistan’s table while neutralizing Pakistan’s enemies without firing a bullet but will also break the morale of the remaining terrorists of TTP and JuA. In any case, the state will decide what should be done with Ehsanullah Ehsan. What should happen to Ehsanullah Ehsan shouldn’t distract us from the real story here that once again highlights the Indian hybrid war on Pakistan. In his confessional statement, Ehsanullah Ehsan vindicates what Pakistan has said about India-backed and Afghan facilitated terrorism for a long time and has been acknowledged by the likes of ex U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel but also by Indian NSA Ajit Doval himself, who has spent 7 years as a spy in Pakistan and is also the former Director of India’s Intelligence Bureau. Moreover, Ehsanullah Ehsan’s statement also confirms what Indian spy terrorist Kulbhushan Yadhav said about his activities against Pakistan which included financing and directing TTP terrorists. All this is unprecedented.
Now it all depends on Pakistan’s civilian leaders, who are too lazy to appoint a Foreign Minister, to present Pakistan’s case in front of the world for if these opportunities are lost, Pakistan may not get another opportunity to educate the world about the hybrid war that has been imposed on it and will continue to be seen as a perpetrator of terrorism instead of being seen as a victim of terrorism.
According to Afghan media sources, Pakistani Army entered Afghanistan and attacked terrorist camps. Pakistani operation also included targeted shelling of heavy artillery hitting several terror camps based in Afghanistan.
Pakistan Army has already made it clear in the past that Pakistan will not tolerate terrorist bases in Afghanistan and will not hesitate to hit terror targets in Afghanistan who threaten Pakistan’s security. Pakistan’s message has been heard loud and clear in Washington DC as Pakistan’s most wanted terrorist was recently taken out in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan. Recently there have also been reports that indicate Afghanistan has agreed to cooperate with Pakistan on counter-terrorism.
In Mehran Town, Korangi, Karachi, Sindh province, counter terrorism forces conducted targeted operations, killing the leader of a Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) ‘sleeper cell’ and arresting five alleged accomplices. A cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered.
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