Afghan Crisis; a Dilemma for Pakistan’s Security and International Response

Abstract

After the events of 1996, the military establishment of Pakistan became obsessed with the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. It regarded the expected firm control of the Taliban on Afghan soil as confirmation of the protection of Pakistan's security as well as economic interests. The Pakistan Afghan policy had a certain mind-set which continued even after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, although the events drastically transformed the regional as well as international security perceptions, more so regarding the Taliban regime in Kabul. There was no possibility that post 9/11 the Pakistani establishment could have wriggled out of the mess, for which it was equally responsible. The Pakistani government callously allowed the Talibanization of Pakistani society, inducting a culture of hate and bigotry, and on the external front alienated its traditional allies. Pakistan became a front line State not through its ability to undertake an effective role in the Afghan crisis but through the accident of being a geographic neighbor of that country. Therefore the establishment's claim that Pakistan must play a role in the making of the Afghan government was not accepted by those who were aware of the complexity of Afghan society and its links to international terrorism.