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Commentator says Pakistan's use of Taliban as proxy in Afghanistan a complete failure

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 15 Jan 2018

Commentator says Pakistan's use of Taliban as proxy in Afghanistan a complete failure

London: Commentators are urging Islamabad to turn a new leaf and be more inclusive in its approach while tackling terror. Pakistan over the last few years are talking the talk, now, they will have to walk the walk too, experts have opined.

According to Omar Samad, Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive of Afghanistan, Pakistan should rethink its strategies when it comes to the use of Taliban as an actor in creating a conflict elsewhere.

"They might help you today, but history has proven that they [Taliban] will turn and bite the hand that feed them," Samad said at The Democracy Forum programme in London.

He also pointed at Pakistan's double standards while labelling terrorists, stating that while Islamabad recognises ISIS as a global terror outfit, it fails to do so for Taliban.

"I hope that Pakistan will come to the realisation that the policies of the last 25 years of trying to use Taliban as a proxy to manage Afghanistan's affairs,  has been a failure," he said.

Lending out advise, Samad said, "It's time to rethink. It's time to re-strategise. It's time to work with everyone, to make make sure we come up with the right solution for ourselves and the people in our nation."

"There are forces in Pakistan that think they can withstand any type of pressure, and then there are others who are concerned," Samad said talking about Pakistan's internal problem.

While the diplomat spoke about Pakistan's involvement in the making of the Taliban, he also threw some light on the new US Afghan policy.

Answering the question 'whether the new US Afghan policy will be instrumental in stopping cross border terrorism in the region', he said, "Most Afghans simple answer to that question would be yes, but a qualitative yes, because there are a lot of ifs that go with it."

"It can and maybe should be stopped, but we do need to be involved and engaged on many fronts to make sure that it happen and happens in a way that is satisfactory to all stakeholders."

However, he added, "The goal cannot be solely a military solution. We need to aim for a political peace deal...but for some odd reason, we haven't found the right formula to go about it."  

US, Pakistan and Afghanistan

As Trump urged India to take a more active role in helping Afghanistan, during his Aug 21 speech last year, government officials in Islamabad were left seething in anger, who accused the US President of betrayal.

"President Trump wants to portray us as a villain despite the huge losses­ we have suffered in the so-called anti-terrorism war," conservative Muslim cleric and legislator Hafiz Hamdullah had said. "Both India and the U.S. want to use Afghanistan against us. These charges of terrorist hideouts are just to destabilize Pakistan.”

The truth is, ever since Trump assumed the Oval Office, Pakistan has been on the receiving end of the stick. In subsequent warnings, the US administration under its 45th President had made it clear to Islamabad that it meant business.

Even though Pakistan understood, it let go of its last straw, Hafeez Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

Saeed, who was placed under house arrest from Jan 31 of 2017, was finally allowed to walk free, much to Trump's chagrin.

To rub salt to injury, the US designated terrorist also announced his intentions of contesting the 2018 Pakistan general elections.

On New Year's Day the US President announced publicly on Twitter that America will not be funding Pakistan anymore.

"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more," his tweet read.

As usual, it was countered by Pakistani top brass and a war of words followed. US since has stopped funding the Asian nation, leaving the US Pakistan releation more unstable than ever.