ISLAMABAD: Senators from both sides of the aisle have warned that a humanitarian crisis is brewing in Afghanistan that could have serious ramifications for Pakistan’s national security.

Speaking on a motion seeking to discuss the rapidly developing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s role in averting it, moved by Senator Mushtaq Ahmad of the Jamaat-i-Islami on Monday, the senators called for urgent steps to alleviate the sufferings of the Afghan people.

Former Senate chairman and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) stalwart Mian Raza Rabbani in his speech noted that Pakistan would be affected the most by a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and it would have an impact on the country’s national security.

Opposition members criticise govt over recent terror attacks

About the implementation on decisions taken at a recently held conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), he said he would not hold the government responsible as the OIC had a history of paying mere lip-service to all issues facing the Islamic countries. He pointed out that the OIC continues to play the role of a silent spectator on the Kashmir issue.

He said the Muslim Ummah should have taken a joint position on blatant human rights violations involving systematic genocide of Muslims in India-held Jammu and Kashmir. But, he added, they are rather supporting the Washington-New Delhi-Tel Aviv nexus.

Mr Rabbani also referred to the commitments made by the Afghan Taliban that terrorism would not be exported to Pakistan, and raised questions over the talks held with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) without taking parliament into confidence. He said the so-called ceasefire reached with the TTP had repeatedly been violated by the other side.

Mr Rabbani said the interior minister had at a recent presser acknowledged the role of the TTP in collusion with militants in Balochistan. But, he added, in the same breath the minister indicated that the government was ready for talks with the banned organisation.

PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman said that the recent terror attacks in the country were of a grave nature. “What is shocking is that the interior ministry claims that the TTP was responsible for these attacks, but still the government is trying to hold talks with it at different levels,” she added.

Ms Rehman said that Pakistan was not alone responsible for averting a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, adding that the international community must play it due role in this regard.

According to her, there is no clarity in the country’s current foreign policy on the issues of Afghanistan and the banned militant groups. It is very painful that the current government wants to give amnesty to a banned group which is responsible for the killing of thousands of Pakistanis, including former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, other political leaders and innocent children, she added.

She said the government must hold the Afghan Taliban accountable for the use of their country’s soil for conducting attacks inside Pakistan.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of the Jamaat-i-Islami said that the US and its allies were responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. He said a large number of Afghans, including children, were facing hunger in the war-torn country. He urged the government to provide health facilities to Afghan nationals at the border and visa facility to patients and members of divided families.

Leader of the House Dr Shahzad Waseem defended the government’s desire for dialogue with the TTP, saying that talks should always be an option before a war, during it and even after it.

He said a precondition for initiating a dialogue process with the TTP is that its members would surrender before the law. And, he added, any dialogue with the TTP would be held within the ambit of the Constitution.

Talking about the recent incidents of terrorism in the country, he said that whenever there is a high-profile visit of China, the enemy tries to disturb the security situation in the country to create an impression that there is no peace here.

He criticised the performance of the previous government, alleging that they had no clear policy on the country’s important issues. He claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had after coming into power given the country what he called its first-ever national security policy.

He said Pakistan was playing the role of a responsible and peace-loving nation in mitigating the sufferings of the people of Afghanistan by making serious efforts for averting a humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.

Commenting on the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to China, he said all goals of the visit had been achieved.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz appreciated the decision to stay away from US President Joe Biden’s moot on democracy, saying that it was just hypocrisy.

He lauded the decision to attend the opening of Olympics Games in China.

He pointed out that four major Muslim allies of the United States — Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE — were present in the ceremony despite the American boycott of the event.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2022