How can Pakistan counter NDS-R&AW nexus of Pashtun Tahfuz Movement?

[Azeem Siddiqui]

Photo Courtesy: Global Village Space

There is a quote by Chinese strategist Sun Tzu:
If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float.
People generally do not know what really intelligence agencies are up to but Pakistan’s ISI seems to be working on the same quote when it comes to Pashtun Tahfuz Movement or PTM. We may watch DG ISPR Maj Gen Asim Ghafoor taking hard stance on PTM’s catch phrasing against Pakistani Army or Twitter hashtags by anonymous users alleging PTM as Jewish lobby but on practical grounds apart from few arrests after an attack on military check post there is still wide space given to PTM workers in which they are promoting their narrative.

https://www.samaa.tv/news/2019/04/over-17000-terrorists-killed-in-pakistan-since-911-ispr-chief/

PTM gained overemphasis from an ethnic group after successful politicization of Naqeeb Ullah Masood’s fake encounter in Karachi but there is a lion’s share of NDS and R&AW, as claimed by DG ISPR, in converting NO-MINE-IN-OUR-AREAS protestors to NO-CHECK-IN-OUR-AREAS Pro Afghan Pashtun nationalists. According to Ahsan Hamid Durrani, writer Global Village Space as of July, 2019 about 45% of check posts have been handed over to the police and LEAS, 3000+ missing persons recovered ad 20,000+ mines recovered. Despite PTM’s primary objectives were accepted by the government, PTM is still unhappy and their workers still promote pro Afghan agenda against the state.
Recent Mr. Ghani’s visit to Pakistan shows Islamabad still wants peaceful relation with Afghanistan despite DG ISPR public accusations on NDS for fomenting dissent and conspiracies like Greater Pashtunistan by funding Pahsteen and Co.
Interestingly, Afghanistan, an ethnic diverse country troubled by militants in dominancy by years has no history of any big ethnic secessionist movement. Distinct boundaries around communities of Afghanistan have gone from compact to fuzzy which resulted in breakdown of ethnicities. They have been forced to diffuse in Pashtun dominated people and hence no significant talk about ethnic division. Taking this fact as their advantage, Kabul has always been Islamabad’s big concern for its espiègleries in Baluchistan and KPK province.

Map shows ethnic groups in Afghanistan
Courtesy: pbs.org
Pakistan needs to rethink its policy for Afghanistan. Muslim brethren might be good for promoting harmony between the people of two Muslim countries but it is unimportant when it comes to statecraft specially when we are dealing with Afghanistan. The fact is Afghans need to understand you can't live in Rome and fight with Pope.
Afghanistan has always sold ethnic factor to disturb the peace within the borders of Pakistan whether its Baloch insurgency or PTM. It is time for ISI to counter NDS and R&AW nexus proxies in best way to neutralize all these anti state elements. Strategically, Pakistan is in better position to highlight the plight of non-Pashtun ethnicities of Afghanistan. Pakistani think tanks should bring this is in public how the minorities in Afghanistan are deliberately being ignored by the Afghan government.

Photo Courtesy: Pakistan Defense
For instance, there is small persecuted community of Brahui living in sandy desert of Southwestern region of Afghanistan. The community is at verge of identity crisis after displacement due to droughts. No efforts have been made by the state of Afghanistan to address their real issues. Pakistan should invite Brahui youth to bigger platforms to raise the issues faced by the community and how their identity is at extinction in future. Pakistan needs to give these people a bigger objective how their annexure to Pakistan can end their misery in current land locked situation.

Courtesy: Joshua Project

Similarly, Nuristanis, people of Nuristan province in eastern part of Afghanistan have always been good friends to Pakistan. During the Soviet-Afghan War, Nuristanis were compelled to abandon their grassroot political leaders and rally around the better funded CIA and ISI backed Jihadi fighters. We may not know how much ISI remains effective in Nuristani region but currently the decision-making power is in hands of Islamic clergy. The circumstances allow Pakistan to replenish the obviated nationalist Nuristani characters. Perhaps a celebration to commemorate the heroics of Nuristanis by wearing Nuristani caps would be enough to trouble the organizers of pro Mazari red caps. This could be a best tactic to apply in the far regions of Aimaqs, Tajiks and Kyrgyz people too.

Pakol, Nuristani Cap
Photo courtesy: TRC LEIDEN

Manzor Pashteen wearing a Mazari hat
pic courtesy: Pakistan Today

This would certainly make Afghanistan introspect their policies. In simple words, if they want to point fingers at Pakistan, they might want to check back at their non-Pashtun communities first.
According to Foreign Policy, many ethnic minorities have started joining camps of Taliban. This might be another big advantage as Pakistan has always an upper hand on NDS and R&AW when it comes to Taliban. Pakistan can offer offices for dialogues between Taliban and persecuted non-Pashtun minorities.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/06/1...ueling-the-talibans-expansion-in-afghanistan/

Pakistan needs to "dePakhtunize" the Pakhtunized areas of non-Pashtun ethnicities of Afghanistan in its interest to counter the idea of Greater Pashtunistan. Promotion of ethnic politics in Afghanistan will ultimately give birth to tribal nationalism, hence the final dent on Afghan's aggressive policy against Pakistan which is based on Pashtun factor.
Recently special advisor to Prime Minister, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan announced HEC based scholarships to 3,000 Afghan students. Should Pakistan grant these scholarships to Pashtuns or non-Pashtuns of Afghanistan who suffered big cultural loss and are eager to develop themselves? The ball is in Pakistan's court to decide whether they want NDS to be their migraine for a long time or not?
Islamabad needs to assure Kabul there is always a specific tit for their every tat. Pakistan does not even need to twist the facts. Its right there! Already a prepared substance that will be troublesome for Afghans. For years, Afghan Pashtuns have dominated and persecuted minorities in Afghanistan but always had the courage to raise the eye brows of Pakistan ignoring their own ethnic detente but its time for NDS to taste their own medicine for their right diagnosis.

To read more on ethnic tensions in Afghanistan click the following links:

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/indep...hanistan-emerging-threat-160725120143630.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/19/world/asia/afghan-ethnic-tensions-rise-in-media-and-politics.html

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