Written by: Talha Safi
Pakistan’s envoy to Afghanistan, Asif Durrani, is in fact a new lobbyist for Pakistan’s interests in the region under the guise of Afghanistan. In his media statements, he has said that after the crises in Gaza and Ukraine, the world has forgotten Afghanistan, which will be detrimental to Pakistan.
Durrani’s remarks indicate that after the defeat of the U.S. in Afghanistan, Pakistan has completely failed in securing a new contract from the U.S. for sowing discord in Afghanistan as a means to rebuild its devastated economy. His inner intentions have now come to light through his media declarations.
This is while the people of Pakistan, alongside the rest of the world, are aware that despite the internal security chaos within Pakistan, the country is also responsible for creating insecurity in the region. Nevertheless, Pakistan continues to shift blame onto Afghanistan for its own shortcomings in upholding security measures.
Instead of securing its own internal security, the Pakistani establishment provides safe havens and comprehensive intelligence training to Daesh (ISIS) with the aim of destabilizing Afghanistan. By seeking its own benefit through foreign conflict, Pakistan hopes to secure contracts from the West to weaken Afghanistan in the region.
Durrani has also made another baseless claim, saying that if Pakistan opens its borders with Afghanistan, a large number of Afghans will migrate to Pakistan. However, the reality is that Pakistan is currently in such a state that its own citizens dream of escaping to foreign countries due to the devaluation of the Rupee (Pakistan’s Currency), insecurity, and lack of job opportunities.
The people of Pakistan look with envy towards the progress of Bangladesh, which gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. The rise in the value of the Afghan currency compared to the Pakistani rupee has become a major point of shame for the people of Pakistan against their own officials.
In his statements, Durrani has turned a blind eye to the violations of human rights in Pakistan, while accusing Afghanistan of the same. The reality is that Afghanistan stands at the forefront globally in ensuring human rights, but Pakistan, by repeating the baseless and outdated claims of the U.S., is attempting to portray the situation in Afghanistan as deteriorating, in hopes of securing a new contract from the U.S. However, this is nothing more than a dream.
