Afghanistan is a halt-place for ISIS not a destination

By Hafeez Hassanabadi

Translated By Chakar Baloch

Regardless of the fact that Ashraf Ghani’s first priority is peace but his news strategy under which he wants to achieve peace is not viable at all. On top of Afghanistan’s all pending issues Pakistan is preparing two new challenges for Afghanistan. Firstly different groups of Taliban will be reorganised under the banner of ISIS. Secondly it [Pakistan] will be exempted from having any influencing on the Taliban. It is clear that the US or Afghanistan cannot ask Pakistan to help them to start negotiations with the DAAESH or ISIS because Pakistan is infamous for giving refugee and diplomatic cover to Taliban and Al-Qaeeda leadership but not guardianship of ISIS.

Obviously Pakistan will now pretend that it is helpless before the ISIS and that most people are leaving Taliban and joining the DAAESH.  People like Mulla Rauf Alizai the head of ISIS in Helmand, Hafiz Saeed Khan Orakzai the Amir of ISIS Khorasan region, Gulzaman Alfatheh ISIS’s Amir in Khyber Agency, Khazifah the Amir of Deer region, Omar Mansoor & Sheikh Muslim Dost the leaders of ISIS Khaibar Agency, Gulam Rasool Amir of ISIS in Waziristan, Talah Amir of DAAESH in Lucky Marawat, Hafiz Dawlat Amir ISIS of Kurrom Agency, Khalid Mansoor Amir ISIS in Hingu, Sheikh Mofti Hassan Amir ISIS in Peshawar , Qari Haroon & Sheikh Mohsin Amirs ISIS Kunar Afghanistan, Abu Abdullah  Amir of ISIS in Nangarhar Afghanistan.

As far as the Taliban are concerned I have discussed this issue in my previous articles that in both cases Pakistan now has only one demand – to conduct operations against extremist it need more financial and military aid [from Western Word]. As always Pakistan will use those resources to committ Pashtun genocide in different names and on different fronts. Despite distrust on Pakistan, the United States has failed to make an effective mechanism to hold Pakistan accountable for the aid it receives in the name of fight against extremism. So, it is clear that the new aid that Pakistan gets will not be used any different than the previous aids.

President Ashraf Ghani’s new policies are complete opposite of the previous Afghan rulers’ policies. Under his [Ghani’s policies] the expansionist ambitions of Pakistan are being ignored in a wishful desire for peace. A sample of Ghani’s new strategy could be seen in a conversation with Mr Ajit Doval, the national security advisor of India Afghanistan’s long lasting friend: “President Ghani told Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval that Afghanistan would no longer seek Indian military aid. Second, he made a series of hugely concessional offers to Pakistan. Third, Pakistan will host the next Heart of Asia Ministerial instead of India. Fourth, Afghanistan, China and the US now appear to accept that Pakistan will never allow transit trade to India through its territory.”

That’s why the former afghan president Hamid Karzai looked in extreme anxiety because none other than him knows the reality better that Pakistan shook hands with the Mujahideen but later when they started rejecting Pakistan’s supervision and wanted to act independently, Pakistan made them fight against each other and strengthen the Taliban to give them control of Afghanistan and planned to make Afghanistan its fifth province.  Now once again Pakistan is planning exactly same conspiracy against the new Afghan government. The fall of Mujahideen was a fight for power grabbing between them. Despite formation of a national Unity government there is still an environment of uncertainty in Afghanistan and that is why the formation of the new cabinet was delayed.

Hundreds of people from Pashtun areas of President Ghani are joining the ISIS. According to local sources the head of ISIS Helmand province, a former Taliban commander, roams freely with a convoy of between 250 to 300 vehicles. Such development can change the scenario in this part of the world any time and the National Unity government of Afghanistan could be the first victim of any such change.

The most significant concern for U.S its allies especially Russia and central Asian republics is that Afghanistan is not only the destination of ISIS but it is their halt place. Before reaching to central Asian republic’s energy resources, they want to take control of all the trade routes first. In this context Afghanistan will undoubtedly be effected but how this scenario going to affect Russia and central Asian internally that is a completely separate debate.

Tension between U.S and Russia and the artificial relationships between Russia and Pakistan is a best opportunity for Pakistan, Taliban and the ISIS. It will act as a barriers and stop major Western powers from forming a joint strategy against them. Due to unrealistic proximity between Pakistan and Afghanistan, U.S, Russia and other regional powers in their efforts to balance the regional power could side-line India which will not only affect the development projects in Afghanistan but it will also deteriorate the economics situations of already war-torn Afghanistan by bringing a new wave of unemployment. The hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth of a deteriorate Afghanistan could then easily become prey of terrorist and extremist forces.

If Pakistan is the priority of new afghan government or they are inclined to rely on Pakistan, then the Afghan policy towards Baloch will see a 180 degree shift. A policy shift regarding Baloch will deprive Afghanistan and rest of civilised of a natural ally. Pakistan duplicitous policies against west has defeated the successful policy of the US and forced it to return from Afghanistan without any achievements.  If Afghanistan adopts a similar policy about Baloch people, it will make matters easy for Pakistan and put the rest of the world in difficulties and complications.

Although the Baloch have been fighting for their independence since 1839, their struggle directly has nothing to do with Afghanistan but the heat of current Baloch liberation struggle has prevented a large area being used for anti-Afghanistan activities.  The presence of religious militants in Pashtun areas of Balochistan, Quetta Shura and constant reports of Taliban leaders presence are concrete examples. While in Baloch areas there has been reports about presence of extremists in only some place which are held by pro-establishment and pro-Pakistan Sardars, Nawabs and Mullahs.

Based on above facts it is clear that Baloch are not only fighting for their freedom and survival but they are also part of the world’s global fight against terrorism. Hence ignoring the Baloch liberation struggle or giving it a required importance, the dream to win the war against global extremism cannot come true.