Afghanistan Times
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Afghanistan is the worst victim of extremism and terrorism. From the godless Taliban to profane Islamic State, the terrorists have waged war not only against the government but civilians as well. Despite that the Afghan government has put the daunting task of improving law and order situation on the back burner. If this notion is untrue then the leaders would have taken practical security measures rather than making a set of hollow commitments and dissuading pledges. Afghans are trapped in terrorism but yet those sitting in the corridor of powers have focused on their own political goals and rusted policies which are futile. The hopes that the new government’s policies will usher in a whole new era of development and improved security have been dashed to the ground, long ago. Monday’s prison-break in Ghazni presents a vivid picture of the government’s performance. The Taliban succeeded in freeing 355 inmates from Ghazni prison, killing four policemen.
No doubt that Afghanistan in the post-Taliban era is facing different challenges such as infrastructure rebuilding, repatriation of refugees, improvement of national economy and security, but some of the issues are byproducts of the policymakers’ miscalculations and inattention.
From students to craftsmen, everyone is putting his hare into the country’s development and to build soft image of Afghanistan. Definitely, it is a never-ceasing journey but Afghans are not showing any sign of fatigue. However, it is the leadership which is confused and without clue. This uncertainty and trust-deficit is eroding public confidence.
Public representatives in the parliament and military affairs analysts have repeatedly urged the government in the last ten months to use power against the militants to calm the ongoing wave of frustration and violence. However, the authorities are still stick to the telephonic diplomacy to bring the warring groups to the negotiations’ table. Use of brutal force against the anti-state elements to prevent Ghazni-like jailbreak incident from repeating, is the only viable solution.
Since designs of the enemies are notorious and the national security forces have proven their mettle in the battles, now it’s time for the government to show courage and take tough decisions. The government should not miss the boat and take advantage of the infighting between the Taliban groups and use whatever resources are available at hand. It is very clear that security would not improve, unless the government makes a conscious choice—to remain silent or take action. As a first step, the government should warn Pakistan for providing shelter to militants and allowing Pakistani Taliban to attack Afghan security forces. To root out terrorism we shall deal with terrorists and their supporters with iron hands, whether sitting in the government or in the neighboring countries. First step in the mist of speculations and meager resources is thought difficult. If the first step is taken the rest is easy. For sure it would be an exhausting task needing extensive time to clear the country from miscreants and foreign-sponsored-terrorists, but it will prove fruitful. If the adamant Ghani administration remained stick to its policy of carrots, we will waste more time. Fighting Taliban should not be taken for chasing ghost. Militants are visible and got flesh.
