This is apropos two Business Recorder different but related news items “4,000 stranded Pakistanis in Kabul: Embassy arranges repatriation” and “Tajikistan calls up reservists as Afghan troops seek refuge” carried by the newspaper yesterday. According to which, the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul has made arrangements for repatriation of around 4,000 Pakistanis who had been stranded there owing to the closure of flights to Saudi Arabia. The Pakistani citizens would be repatriated to Torkham, on special directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan to help the Pakistanis stranded abroad. More than 1,000 Afghan security personnel fled across the border into Tajikistan after Taliban advanced in northern Afghanistan.

This terrible chaos was expected following the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, it is highly disturbing nevertheless. The US has done little or nothing in accordance with its commitment of creating prosperity and peace in this landlocked country after it toppled the Taliban government in 2001-2002. The entire region is presently in the throes of despair and a possible bitter conflict.

Nauman Saeed (Islamabad)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021