I would like to question the Afghani military and governments own commitment to stabilising and securing its own borders, for they are having the numbers to strike in Oruzgan Province, but
refuse to do so.
I would also like to question their commitment to reducing the production and export of poppy crop and poppy by-products into Pakistan, but the
refuse to do so.
We should also question their commitment to regional security and stability when then clearly know the larger picture but
refuse to expect it.
We should ask the Afghani government why to this day despite pressure from the ILO and UNHCR, they have
not initiated the voluntary repatriation program for their citizens seeking refuge in Pakistan, citizens i may add who prefer to stay in Pakistan because to quote " Afghanistan has nothing for us".
We should ask why has the Afghan government not extended its counter terrorist unit and drug interdiction teams along the Pak-Afghan border, despite repeated requests from Islamabad to do so.
They question Pakistan's commitment:
Lets talk facts.
Pakistans commitment to the war on terror:
Pakistan has deployed
140,000 troops along the FATA areas:
DAWN.COM | Front Page | Pakistan has moved 100,000 troops from Indian border: Pentagon
To date the total number of British Troops killed in Iraq since the begining of the operations is totalling at
324:
BBC News - Two UK soldiers shot dead in Afghanistan rescue bid
Now compare that figure to Pakistani military casulties suffered from Jan - July and the figure stands at:
394 : Souce:
<<::PIPS) Welcome to Pak Institute For Peace Studies:::>>
Now consider the civilian casualties since Jan 2010 to July 2010 and the figure stands at an astounding
2557: Source:
<<::PIPS) Welcome to Pak Institute For Peace Studies:::>>
You have people like Shukria Barakzai spout nonsensical alligations against Pakistan, when the very same woman was hosted by Pakistan during her exile from Afghanistan.
There are countless such politicians/observers and analysts of Afghan origin who were hosted as brothers and sisters in Pakistan, now these very same people who called "Pakistan their home away from home, back stab Pakistan to suit their own selfish ends".
Pakistans commitment to our Afghan friends:
Education:
1. 28,000 Afghans have studied in Pakistani schools, colleges and universities in the past 30 years; Islamabad has longstanding policy of educating the children of Afghan refugees
2. About 500,000 Afghan children attend schools in Pakistan
3. A state of the art Allama Iqbal Faculty at Kabul University is completed. The Government of Pakistan is furnishing the Iqbal Faculty building.
4. The building of Sir Syed Science Faculty Block is near completion in Nangarhar University, Jalalabad
5. The structure of Liaqat Ali Khan Engineering Faculty in Balkh University, Mazar-e-Sharif is almost complete.
6. Rehman Baba High School in Kabul was completed, where 1200 students are currently enrolled.
7. Donated buses for the students of Kabul University.
Trade and Economy:
1. Every single day in 2009, 52,000 Afghans entered Pakistan for business, education and tourism
2. Pakistan was also instrumental in facilitating the launch of several industries in Afghanistan after 2001. For example: State-owned National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) was the first foreign bank to operate in Afghanistan after 9/11. Two private Pakistani banks followed NBP to Afghanistan. The emerging banking sector of Afghanistan was heavily depended on Pakistans human resource in its initial phase.
3. The telecommunication industry of Afghanistan drew Pakistani manpower, or Afghans trained in Pakistan, in its nascent stage.
4. State-owned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pioneered the opening of Afghanistan to international air traffic. It was the first foreign airline to start operations to Kabul after 9/11. Ariana Afghan Airlines uses Pakistans civil aviation training facilities.
5. Robust trade and economic interaction is another important feature of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. Pakistan is the largest trading partner of Afghanistan while Afghanistan is Pakistans third largest export market.
6. Pakistan has provided transit trade facility to Afghanistan for decades without any reciprocity. The two countries are presently engaged in negotiating an improved Transit Trade Agreement to further facilitate Afghan transit trade through Pakistan.
7. To enhance Kabuls connectivity to the world, Pakistan plans to improve its road links and develop rail connections with Afghanistan.
Healthcare and Welfare:
1. A sprawling Jinnah Hospital Complex with ten towers is under construction in Kabul. It will provide the most modern health facility in the country.
2. Civil work on Nishter Kidney Hospital in Jalalabad is completed. Afghan doctors, paramedics and technicians to run this facility are also trained in Pakistan.
3. A 200 bed Naib Aminullah Khan Logari Hospital is under construction in Logar.
4. Donated mobile field hospitals and ambulances to several provinces.
Civil Works and Infrastructure:
1. Construction of Torkham-Jalalabad Road in eastern Afghanistan is completed.
2. On request of the Afghan Government, Pakistan has undertaken to convert Torkham-Jalalabad road in a dual carriage highway. About 60 percent work is already completed on this project.
3. Built three intra-city roads in Jalalabad.
4. Provided earth-moving and road building machinery to various provinces.
5. Donated fifty buses for public transportation.
6. Provided cash assistance to the Afghan Government.
Arts, culture and Heritage:
1. A sad casualty of foreign occupation and long civil war was the performing art tradition of Afghanistan. Pakistan was instrumental in preserving some of this tradition: many performing artists took refuge, or grew professionally, during their stay in Pakistani cities. Today, a large number of Afghan artists have close links, and wide following, in Pakistan.
Yet still the question Pakistan, do they forget the 1980s, do they forget our generosity and brotherhood during their darkest time? Do they forget the 5.5 million refugees we hosted and treated as Kin?
If any sensible afghan is surfing this forum, please try to understand, we are fully committed to fighting an internal insurgency, we do not have the time or the resources to play around with such fanciful wet dreams.
A word of caution to our Afghan friends: Make new friends, but dont forget the old. The new are the silver, the old are the gold.