They are not enemies but unfortunately certain circumstances and external influence has put both government at odds.
Pakistan has been very supportive of Afghanistan since the wars started. Pakistan hosts the largest number of Afghan refugees in the entire world. Minister is a f cking idiot for not clearing up his blunder f cking idiotI
I think Pakistan has played its part.
Pakistan’s Efforts in the Rehabilitation of Afghanistan
Pakistan is playing its vital role in reinstating peace in Afghan society by offering the Afghan students different learning prospects and free of cost education. The Government of Pakistan has extended 1000 fully funded scholarships, which includes undergraduate, Masters and PhD programs for Afghan students. Pakistan has also added 100 dedicated scholarships entirely for young Afghan women in 2017, from which 25 scholarships were dedicated specifically to the field of agriculture.
The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan share a deep-rooted socio-cultural bond. Throughout the history Afghanistan has influenced the socio-economic life of Indian subcontinent. People on both sides are not only connected geographically but also through common heroes, folklore, entertainment and literature. Both the countries have common writers, poets and philosophers such as Jamaluddin Afghani, Jalaluddin Rumi Balkhi, Hamza Baba, Rehman Baba, Qalandar Momand, Ghani Khan, Suleman Layeq and so on. Along with poetry, the music traces through the same path as Rafiq Shinwari, Khyal Mohammad, Qamar Gula, Ustad Shahwali, Gulnar Begum, Sardar Ali Takkar, Nashanas and Naghma who are equally famous in both the countries.
To support socio-economic development and rehabilitation in Afghanistan, Pakistan has extended technical and financial assistance in different fields of education, health, business, infrastructure, and trade in Afghanistan. Along with this, Pakistan has supported Afghan people in training and capacity building in different provinces, incorporating Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad and so on. Whereas, Pakistan provided USD 1 billion fund for the socio-economic progress of Afghanistan since 2001. In addition to this, Pakistan has made efforts to enhance bilateral ties, easing consular services for Afghans visiting Pakistan for medical or educational reasons and provided Afghan citizen cards to 88,299 Afghans residing in Pakistan.
In Afghanistan, Pakistan extensively contributed to infrastructure building in the education sector. The construction of Rehman Baba School and Hostel in Kabul, a project that was completed in 2008, cost Pakistan an amount of Rs. 120 million. In Kabul, Allama Iqbal Faculty of Humanities, Kabul University was built by Pakistan in 2009 for Rs. 672.54 million. In the province of Nangarhar, Pakistan constructed Sir Syed Post Graduate Faculty of Sciences Block in 2010 for Rs. 389.65 million in Nangarhar University. In Mazar-e-Sharif Pakistan built Liaqat Ali Khan Engineering Faculty Block which was completed in 2014 for Rs. 1.046 billion in Balkh University.
The Nishtar Kidney Center in Jalalabad has been built by Pakistan costing USD 7 million, whereas Pakistan constructed Jinnah Hospital at the cost of more than USD 24 million in Kabul. Naeb Aminullah Khan Hospital in the province of Logar was built by Pakistan at a cost of USD 18 million. 14 fully equipped medical mobile units were also built for Rs. 58,020 million.
Presently on the economic front, in the Afghanistan export market Pakistan is the number one, comprising 47% of total exports in Afghanistan. Almost 60% of the Afghan transport trade is conducted via Torkham border. Pakistan has allowed only Afghanistan to export cotton by land, buying the entire produce of worth USD 12 million. Pakistan has exempted Afghanistan from paying any sort of regulatory import duty. Afghans are issued business visas on the same day, with a year of different exemptions from police registration. And Pakistan opened airspace to permit India-Afghan air path to function while allowing exports from Afghanistan to India through Wagah border.
Voluntarily Pakistan has been working on the repatriation of Afghan refugees staying in Pakistan for the last four decades, renewing the Proof of Registration (PoR) every year. 88,299 illegal Afghans in Pakistan have been issued Afghan Citizen Cards. Annually Pakistan issues over 700,000 visas inclusive of 80,000 medical visas to Afghans, issuing the visa on the next day of application.
Politically, both the countries signed the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), wherein the entire gamut is covered by five Working Groups. It is a forum not only for the development of bilateral relations and bridging the differences but also for the management of crisis.
Afghanistan needs to consider Pakistan’s positive role for regional peace and stability, without any bias, which will also lead to mutual trust, progress and prosperity. In the context of South Asia, both the countries play a bigger role for the development, cooperation and peace. Whereas, the intra-regional assistance will create a catalytical impact in facing the challenges of terrorism, poverty and development. Regional support incorporates policy coordination via formal organizations for the welfare of the youth and accomplishing joint ventures for the development of the region for future generations. It should be realized by all that fueling trouble in the internal affairs of Pakistan can only be mutually destructive. With the brotherly support of Pakistan, Afghanistan could eradicate the threats of terrorism and radicalism.
Efforts have been made to address these issues, such as the formation of bilateral engagement framework APAPPS after the meeting of the leaders of both the countries in 2018. However, the actual advancement has recently been seen in the shape of U.S.-Taliban talk with positive input by Pakistan. It is anticipated that this will also not turn out to be a mirage like several other moves in the past. Pakistan is making sincere efforts for establishing a stable and peaceful environment in Afghanistan that in turn would also benefit the economic ties between both countries.
One of the nuisances in the way of harmonious bilateral relations is the destructive Indian role in Afghanistan. It has been repeatedly found to be destabilizing Pakistan by using Afghan soil. India has been investing extensively in ethnic minority groups against the Pashtuns in Afghanistan because of their inclination towards Pakistan. Diplomatic Indian missions in Afghanistan have been involved in encouraging low-level insurgency in Balochistan by apparently providing arms and providing financial aid to insurgent groups. Large caches of Indian-made weapons were retrieved from the erstwhile FATA during the search operations. India is neither Afghanistan’s immediate friend nor does it relate to its ethnic and cultural values. It wanted to see the peace process delayed and looked to provoke a reaction so that it may cost all the stakeholders, specifically in Afghanistan. Pakistan has never been offended with Afghanistan’s relation with India but has a serious objection of India using Afghanistan’s soil to sabotage peace in Pakistan.
After all the brotherly efforts carried out to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan, Pakistan hopes that its untiring efforts will be recognized and that not only Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan, but Pakistan and Afghanistan will both enjoy the rich dividends of peace.