This is apropos a Business Recorder editorial “Afghan war endgame, or not quite?” carried by the newspaper yesterday. Its headline says it all. My answer is: it’s not the final stage of a ‘game’ because of a variety of reasons. Having said that, I would like to commend prime minister Imran Khan for making it clear to the entire world, including the US, that Pakistan will “absolutely not” allow any bases for any sort of action inside Afghanistan.

The newspaper’s is a highly informed opinion. Nothing I could say would add to its following conclusion: “It is a sad commentary that as America’s longest foreign military engagement comes to an end there is no mention at all of the cause that took them there, and how they have nothing to show for the so-called war against terrorism except for trillions of dollars of waste and a red nose. But nothing can be sadder than the fate of poor Afghans, who had to endure, and continue to endure, utter endless madness as death and destruction all around them all the time became the normal way of life for no real reason whatsoever.”

Rubina Qazi (Peshawar)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021