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• Assisting the Afghan government in extending its authority across the country;
• Conducting stability and security operations in co-ordination with the Afghan national security forces;
• Supporting the Afghan government program to disarm illegally armed groups.
The ISAF is now expanding its area of operations to include six additional provinces: Day Kundi, Helmand , Kandahar , Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul ; four Regional Commands will be established at: Mazar-e Sharif, Herat and Kandahar for ISAF Regions North, West and South respectively and one for the capital, Kabul. The ISAF will be increased by up to 6,000 personnel potentially bringing the total number to approximately 15,000. Currently 26 Allies and 10 non-NATO countries contribute some 9,000 personnel to the operation. The ISAF and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), the ongoing US-led military operation in Afghanistan, will continue to have separate mandates and missions. ISAF will focus on its stabilization and security mission whilst OEF will continue to carry out its Counter-terrorism mission.
Earlier, in June, Defence Ministers from 37 NATO and non-NATO countries reconfirmed plans to significantly increase the number of NATO-led peacekeepers in Afghanistan this summer and to move into the south of the country. This was the first ever meeting of NATO Defence Ministers and Defence Ministers from countries that contribute to NATO’s Afghanistan mission. It underlined the importance that NATO and its partner countries attach to the operation. Earlier, the Alliance had some 9,000 troops providing security assistance in Kabul, the North and West of the country. By summer 2006 this figures was set to rise to about 16,000, and will also see the Alliance taking on additional tasks such as mentoring Afghan army units. Later, it was claimed that General Richards would ultimately command some 17,000 ISAF forces in Afghanistan will be working with the Government Afghanistan and the international community to implement a comprehensive and all embracing development plan for the future of the country. As ISAF expands its operation into the south of the country in the summer General Richards said he will not hesitate to use appropriate measures against those disruptive elements opposed to democracy and the rule of law in Afghanistan, including military force if necessary. The fact of the matter is that much more needs to be done to stabilize Afghanistan. Peace in Afghanistan depends upon security and stability which itself depends upon good governance and assistance from abroad. The USA has all but ignored Afghanistan at the cost of its ill-fated global war on terror in Iraq. Unless and until NATO concentrates on tackling the governance issues in Afghanistan, peace cannot come about. Wishful thinking and rhetoric will not solve the mess in Afghanistan. Only concentrated action and determination of NATO and Pakistan can resolve the security issues. We can only hope that peace comes to the country soon.
Pakistan’s perceptions on the Situation in Afghanistan
Pakistan, who supported the Taliban regime militarily and financially, made a drastic policy change and cooperated with the U.S. in going after Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Despite this, Pakistan, led by General Musharaf, still tried to influence the future stability of the Afghan government by attempting to secretly sabotage the talks in Bonn by bringing up ethnic issues. Many observers and analysts believe that the Pakistani government wanted to use the Taliban to restore the so-called "sanctity of the Durand Line", which separates Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Durand line is an unofficial porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 1893, the British and the Afghan Amir (Abdur Rahman Khan) agreed to set up the Durand line (named after the foreign Secretary of the Indian government, Sir Mortimer Durand) to divide Afghanistan and what was then British India. Many experts believe that the Afghan Amir regarded the Durand Line as only a separation of areas of political responsibility, not permanent international borders. The agreement was only for 100 years and it expired in 1993. Moreover as early as 1949, Afghanistan's Loya Jirga declared the Durand Line invalid.
Qazi claims that Pakistan’s objective was to rule Afghanistan by proxy, hence giving them a strategic depth against their South Asian rival India.
Only a political process could bring lasting peace to Afghanistan. Those among the Taliban who are willing to be included in the mainstream should be given the chance to surrender their arms and join the political process. The military action should only be taken against those who refuse to accept a peaceful solution to the Afghan crisis.
Some have suggested that Pakistan should do more to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda extremists operating in Afghanistan and along the Pak-Afghan border.
We believe that it was not only Pakistan’s duty to do so. Pakistan was doing whatever it could and had sustained more casualties in the fight against terrorists than both Afghan and international forces put together. This, it showed Pakistan’s commitment to the fight.
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Sohail Mahmood
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