Thread by @tequieremos

Pakistan has sought strategic stability and peace in Afghanistan for the benefit of the region. It's the only player whose stance has remained consistent in the last two decades of the US war in Afghanistan. The following policy decisions in this thread would prove it:

#OIC4Afg

1. Back in 2001 just before the Bonn agreement, President Musharraf gave a proposal that Afghan Taliban must be included in any power sharing formula because they are a political reality of Afghanistan but the US, Russia, UK, India and Iran rejected it.

2. When the DG ISI met Pentagon officials before the US invasion of Afghanistan on Sept 24, 2001. He said:

“You need the help of the Afghan people. I beg you—I implore you—not to fire a shot in anger. It will set us all back many years. Don’t let the blood rush to your head”

3. Steve Coll writes in his book that President Musharraf told Colin Powell after US invasion in 2001 that Afghan Taliban must be a part of any power sharing formula.

“Extremism is not in every Taliban, One knows for sure that there are many moderate elements”

Powell agreed.

4. During his visit to the US in Sept 2006, President Musharraf proposed a grand jirga to seek a political solution by bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table through a non partisan third party because military effort is likely to fail. It was again rejected by the US.

4. President Biden asked General Kayani in 2009. “What kind of Afghanistan would represent success for Pakistan?”

Kayani said, “a peaceful, friendly and stable Afghanistan. I have no desire to control Afghanistan. Anyone who wants to control Afghanistan is ignorant of history”

5. Back in 2010, the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue was held. As the discussion got under way, General Kayani spoke briefly and presented President Obama a 14 page document entilted 'Pakistan's Perspective'. It was candid and concise. The key points were:

a. For Pakistan, the outcome of the war in Afghanistan is a matter of life and death
b. There is a direct linkage between the stability and future of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It cannot therefore wish for anything other than what it wishes for itself.

c. A peaceful, stable and friendly Afghanistan provides us the strategic depth-a concept that is totally misunderstood.
4. Ignoring Indian military presence on the eastern border would be a dereliction of duty for any Army Chief.

It took Obama three months to respond.

6. Pakistan has remained a safe haven for Afghan Refugees.

a. Nearly 6 million Afghans—roughly two-fifths of country’s population—fled to Iran or Pakistan from 1979 to 1989.
b. According to Amnesty International, Pakistan is ranked 4th among top 10 refugee hosting countries.

c. Pakistan is offering 3000 scholarships to Afghan youth in Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture and CS.
d. Ashraf Ghani lived in Pakistan for 19 months. Amrullah Saleh studied in Islamabad back in 1992 under a course titled “Post Conflict Reconstruction and Management”

7. Despite the economic challenges Pakistan is facing, PM Imran Khan announced more than $28m medical, food and other humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan including 50,000 [metric tonnes] of wheat, emergency medical supplies. The govt reduced tariffs on Afghan exports.

Reference:

1. “Directorate S” by Steve Coll
2. “The Battle for Pakistan” by Shuja Nawaz
3. “No Win War” by Zahid Hussain
4. “Beyond Tora Bora” by Ali Jan Aurakzai