ALI SUKHANVER
Do you know Major Ali Jawad Changaizi, the officer of Pakistan Army who sacrificed his life at Pak-Afghan Torkham border a few days back? He was the son of Brigadier Khadim Hussain Changaizi, the first Commissioner for Afghan Refugees in 90s in Balochistan. Before becoming president, Hamid Karzai also served Brigadier Khadim Changaizi as his interpreter. Mr. Hamid Karzai had a great regard for Brigadier Changaizi for his untiring services to the Afghan refugees during that time. Unfortunately the thankless Afghan forces deputed at Pak-Afghan Torkham border martyred the son of their same benefactor. The New York Times said reporting on the Torkham Border clash, ‘Zarawar Zahid, the police chief of Nangarhar Province, on the Afghan side of the crossing, posted a video on Facebook saying that he was near the front line and ordering a mortar barrage against Pakistan. He appears next to two mortars shouting to his men, “Strike hard enough to blow up Nawaz Sharif’s home,” referring to the prime minister of Pakistan who lives in Islamabad, the capital, 150 miles from the border.’ How funny and ridiculous is the statement of Zarawar Zahid, ‘Strike hard enough to blow up Nawaz Sharif’s home’. The Afghan forces wanted to blow up the home of the Prime Minister of a country which has been feeding more than 2.7 million Afghan refugees for the last thirty years. It is alarming; really alarming; Pakistan will have to revisit its relationship with Afghanistan. The reason behind the clash between the security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham was that Pakistan attempted to erect a gate on the Torkham border to put a check on the infiltration of fighters from the Afghani side. Erection of a gate on Torkham border is not a new idea; Pakistan has since long been trying to convince the Afghan government on building of such check-point but Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in this regard proved futile. Every time Afghanistan opposed the idea of fencing the border and building of a gate there by saying that it does not recognize the claimed boundary as a legitimate dividing line. In such a non-cooperative atmosphere Pakistan was left with just one option; to build a gate without waiting for the consent from Afghanistan because it was the only solution to keep a check on the people crossing the border and coming to Pakistan. When Pakistan started the construction of an entrance on its own side, the Afghan security forces deployed there started unprovoked firing which ended in grave loss of lives on both the sides. Ultimately the Torkham crossing point had to be closed. The border had remained closed for five days even during the last month but was reopened after a meeting between the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal and Gen. Raheel Sharif Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff. The recent clash at Torkham must be an eye-opener to the Pakistani authorities.
The ever-worst law and order situation, the political and economic instability and NATO forces’ intention of never going back has certainly turned Afghanistan into a land of never-ending war. Moreover day by day increasing interference of India and US’ efforts of strengthening India’s steps on the Afghan land have made the situation more complex and complicated. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it has been doing all it could do for the betterment, progress and prosperity of Afghanistan for the last many decades. Pakistan, in spite of its countless economic, social and security issues has always helped Afghanistan at every critical juncture. Just cast a look at the past; Pakistan has been providing special support and facilities to the Afghan students in almost all of its universities and institutions. Pakistani doctors have been assisting the Afghan government in the field of medicine and surgery; Pakistani traders have been investing a lot there in Afghanistan. Pakistan has provided a lot of transport facilities to those who were interested in importing goods to Afghanistan and above all Pakistan has been hosting a huge ‘army’ of Afghan refugees for the last thirty years. Though all these favours and supports have been widely acknowledged by the Afghan people but unfortunately the Afghan government, be it the tenure of President Karzai or of President Ashraf Ghani, never admitted the services of Pakistan. It always tried to blame and defame Pakistan. The recent clashes on the Torkham border are the worst example of their thanklessness. How stupid is the idea that Afghanistan wants Pakistan keep its doors open for the terrorists and mischief-makers. How illogical is the concept that you want to enter a neighboring house without asking for permission. Is there any country which allows open-access to every Tom Dick and Harry into its territorial boundaries; certainly not. Everywhere you need permission in form of visa. If Pakistan is establishing a check-in point in shape of a gate; it is no sin no crime. It is the responsibility of the Afghan government and even of the commanding authorities of the NATO forces to look into the matter and to take to the task the culprits who tried to disrupt the peace process in Afghanistan by shooting their own brothers across the border.