'Recognition of Durand Line is a solution to Afghan conflict'

Renowned analyst Ahmad Rashid believes the Durand Line recognition as a permanent border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is the primary solution to the decades-long turmoil in the region. But, he warns that unlike the past the Taliban will never bow down to a "preponderant" role of Pakistan in their national affairs.
Giving a lecture as chief guest on the topic "Regional situation - Opportunities for Pakistan", which Pakistan Institute of Maritime Affairs (PIMA) organised at the Defence Central Library, he painted bleak picture of the prevailing regional situation.
He said the geopolitical scenario favoured Pakistan to retain its pivotal position in the region, locating between South Asia and Central Asia, and urged the rulers to take, this time, judicious steps to capitalise on global political needs.
Suggesting the government to renounce its support to militant factions and allow India to become part of the wider-consolidation process in Afghanistan as a neighbour nation. Rashid said Pakistan needed a regional strategy to encourage the region to take part in peace settlement in the war-torn Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan needed a shift in its foreign policy to stop the use of extremists and militants as a tool to influence decisions in Kabul and elsewhere. The analyst said that after 9/11 incident Pakistan had re-emerged as regional leader for its strategic location but the then military regime failed to reap benefits of the whole situation, like Zia-ul-Haq had been.
In 2003, he said, Taliban resurged with insurgency in Afghanistan through intelligence and military support from Pakistan and funds from Gulf States. The reinforcement of Taliban consequently hit Pakistan with terrorism and created chaos here, Rashid opined. He regretted that Gwadar was still empty and dysfunctional because of insurgencies in Pakistan and Afghanistan for the last three years, saying that Pakistan should open up trade routes to the Central Asian region.
Rashid pointed out Iran was facilitating 60 percent of the Afghanistan trade via Dubai, whereas Pakistan was commanding the least leverage in this connection. He said Pakistan during the present US-Afghan War could not become able to draw a maritime alliance to stop smuggling and terrorism in the region.
With initiating Kargil War, he said, Pakistan created nuisance and distrust across the world, adding that the war failed to help it achieve goals in Kashmir. The then civilian government was not part of the decision of the Kargil adventure, he said. Differentiating Afghan Taliban from Pakistani ones, Rashid said the formers had lost their old-generation commanders in the war and replaced with young warriors fighting with anti-American sentiments. The latter are more extremists, he said.
Regarding the Arab countries' role in Afghanistan, he said they had been fed up with the Afghan dilemma and had been missing from the scene since the war on terrorism had begun. He said allowing India to be part of Afghan peace settlement would also help Pakistan overcome its problems of terrorism and insurgencies facing in Balochistan and Fata.
He said India was facilitating some of the extremist groups in Pakistan besides Sindhi and Baloch nationalists, whereas the latter was backing Kashmiri insurgents and Sikh against the former. The trend adopted by either side has been aimed at destabilising each other, he added. Rashid said former president General Pervez Musharraf (Retd) after Zia-ul-Haq had an endless opportunity to develop Pakistan as modern state with increased literacy rate and steady economic growth, but missed the chance like his predecessor.
The analyst also highlighted the mistakes Pakistan committed after the withdrawal of USSR from Afghanistan. He said other nations like European who had been part of the cold war with the US against the Communist Russia set up their alliances to attain stability and growth. But, Pakistan chose an isolated path to continue its ambition of installing its own favourites in Kabul, and also supported militants and extremists in Kashmir against India, he added. Admiral Zahid Hussnain (Retd) and former diplomat Mehdi Masood also spoke on the occasion.