ISLAMABAD: Security experts and senior politicians, including heads of the country’s three main religious parties, on Tuesday warned that after the withdrawal of US from Afghanistan the security situation in the region would worsen.
There was almost a consensus among the speakers of a conference titled “Peace and Reconciliation in Afghanistan that terrorism should be resolved through negotiations and not by use of force.
The conference was organised by recently-formed think-tank Centre for Discussions and Solutions (CDS).
The heads of two factions of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Maulana Samiul Haq, Amir Jamaat-i-Islami Munawwar Hassan and ANP’s Afrasiab Khattak were the main speakers on the opening day of the two-day conference that was dedicated to late Qazi Hussain Ahmed, former JI Amir.
JI Chief Munawar Hassan, who had triggered a nationwide debate last year by declaring Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as a martyr, again praised him for putting up resistance to the US. “The people like Osama, who resist foreign forces, always remain alive in the hearts of the people,” he said.
JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq strongly opposed any military operation in Fata, saying it could prove counterproductive.
“If operation is launched, over 500,000 people will migrate and Taliban will also move with them and war will spread all over the country,” he warned.
The JUI-S chief who last week dissociated himself from the peace process with Taliban alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was no more interested in holding dialogue with Taliban because of the US pressure.
JI Amir Munawwar Hasan also alleged that the PML-N government was planning a military action against Taliban in violation of the mandate given by the nation in the last elections which was to hold talks with the militants.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who is a partner of the PML-N government, reiterated that talks with Taliban should be held through the jirga comprising local tribal people.
The organisers perhaps intentionally avoided the chances of interaction between Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his rivals as they had invited him in the morning session that was inaugurated by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for abolishing Nato (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). “After disbanding of Soviet Union, there is no need to continue with Nato which is now being used against Afghanistan,” he added.
He stressed the need for reconciliation between Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and all other groups.
ANP Senator Afrasiab Khattak called for bringing about a change in the mindset of the security establishment about Taliban’s role.
“Now Taliban cannot rule the country again but unfortunately some elements in Pakistan are still applying the ideas of 70s and 80s. Those elements should understand that things have changed and even China and Russia want peace in Afghanistan,” he said.
Mr Khattak, whose party supports military operation against the militants, said a lot of changes had taken place in Afghanistan. “There is a very strong civil society (in Afghanistan), 57 television channels are on air and millions of children go to schools,” he said.
Former head of the country’s premier intelligence agency ISI Gen (retd) Asad Durrani said different stakeholder in Afghanistan could not negotiate on their own and there should be some external force which could bring all the groups on one table. “Only Pakistan can do that”, he said.
Mr Durrani claimed that Pakistan was in contact with different groups in Afghanistan and it would not be difficult for Islamabad to play its role in ensuring peace in the country.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said “an Afghan-grown, Afghan-owned, Afghan-sponsored and Afghan-led solution could bring peace in Afghanistan.”
“History is a witness that no foreign force could stay long in the region. However, the world at large refuses to understand this basic rule,” he said.
A representative of JI Afghanistan Ustad Murad also desired that Pakistan should play a role to ensure peace in Afghanistan.
According to former ambassador Ayaz Wazir’s point of view, there was peace in tribal areas till 2003 but resistance started when Pakistan sent its army in Waziristan.
Abdullah Gul, son of ex-ISI chief Gen (retd) Hamid Gul suggested that negotiations with Taliban should be delayed because as long as the US would be present in Afghanistan, negotiations could not succeed.