During the last week, some elements in the Afghan government have been levelling absurd allegations against Pakistan. First came the report, with insinuations of a larger scheme, that three Pakistanis were arrested from eastern Afghanistan for allegedly plotting to kill the outgoing American Ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzade.
A few days later, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman, Jawed Ludin, came out with the statement that Taliban militants were training in camps located in Pakistan to launch attacks inside Afghanistan in order to disrupt the legislative polls scheduled for September.
The allegations were serious enough to merit two telephone calls, within a span of two days, from President General Musharraf to his Afghan counterpart. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad told the press on Thursday, that "the President has again assured Karzai that Pakistan is not involved in any incident in Afghanistan." Annoying as these reports are they beg the obvious question, why would Pakistan want to be involved in such activities?
The country is a trusted US ally in the latter's war against terrorism. It has gone out of its way, at the cost of creating unrest in its own tribal belt, to facilitate the American forces' campaign against the Taliban. More Pakistani soldiers have died trying to confront Taliban infiltrators and their local sympathizers than Americans in Afghanistan.
US President George W. Bush and several high-ranking officials of his administration have repeatedly acknowledged the important role that Pakistan has been playing in their country's fight against terrorism. Karzai is also on record having profusely thanked Pakistan for playing a helpful part in the success of Afghan presidential elections. It is ironical indeed that his spokesman should now blame Islamabad for allowing training of Taliban militants with a view to disrupting the upcoming legislative elections.
If at all the Kabul government or the American forces have any complaints about the movement of fighters across the Pak-Afghan border, there is a trilateral military commission, comprising American, Afghan and Pakistani representatives, where these can be sorted out effectively. Finger pointing by Kabul government officials can only generate unnecessary tensions between the two countries. Unfortunately, some members of the Karzai government, who belong to the defunct Northern Alliance, continue to nurse old grudges against Pakistan.
As a matter of fact, Pakistan has a strong interest in a peaceful, stable Afghanistan. It has been dreaming of acting as the gateway, via Afghanistan, to the resource-rich Central Asian Republics. The construction of mega infrastructure projects such as the deep sea Gwadar Port and the Coastal Highway are some of the physical manifestations of that dream.
Pakistan can pursue its objectives in the region only if there is peace in Afghanistan. It is true that in the past it did take sides in the Afghan factional fighting to advance its own influence in the country, but the tide of events has thrown its former adversaries on the same side as its own. It no more has any favourites to replace the current incumbents. That reality is plain to anyone familiar with the present situation. Hence it is only appropriate that its former opponents, who now share the government with Karzai, should overcome their past suspicions and hostility towards Pakistan. They must stop accusing it of activities that it has no motive to engage in.
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