ISI and Taliban

ALI SUKHANVER


According to all dictionaries of English language, ‘raw ‘means crude and coarse, unprocessed and untreated ; these meanings seem very much close to reality when we look at the working of the world famous intelligence agency RAW. The name coined for it very truly matches the accurate meanings of the word. Raw has very surprisingly succeeded in getting the record of the telephonic conversation between the ISI chief General Ahmed Shuja Pasha and President Karzai of Afghanistan. During this telephonic conversation, General Pasha tried to convince the Afghan president to curtail the Indian involvement in Afghanistan. General Pasha promised to smooth the way for negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government if Karzai co-operates in this context.

RAW’s claim to trace the conversation between Karzai and General Pasha is the best example of RAW’s ‘unbelievable and astonishing’ working. However this ‘Breaking News’ could have been more credible and fascinating if it were supported by authentic proofs which are yet awaited. RAW high-ups must speed up the process of proof finding in this respect other wise this ‘research’ of Raw would be taken as much non-serious and childish as that of the Mumbai blasts. The question arises why did RAW spend a lot of its precious resources and valuable time on tracing the conversation details of the telephonic talks between General Pasha and president Karzai if it ever happened as reported by RAW. Whatever General Pasha said to Mr. Karzai must not be a hidden reality. If there were any conversation of this type, he might have simply conveyed the policy and demand of the government of Pakistan.

Every one knows that Pakistan has its own reservations regarding the increasing influence of India in Afghanistan. Since the very first day of the NATO forces in Afghanistan, Pakistan is of the opinion that the situation would never be bettered if India is given a free hand in Afghanistan because a long lasting peace in Afghanistan is not in favour of India. In the name of different development projects India is sending agents of its different intelligence agencies in Afghanistan. Even the staff of the Indian consulates in Afghanistan constitutes of the Raw agents. With the help of these consulates India is providing monetary as well as military support to the terrorist groups working in the tribal areas of Pakistan. During the operations against the miscreants in Swat and other afflicted areas Pakistan army has recovered a lot of weapons with Indian mark on them. Same is the case with the diaries which were found in the possession of different arrested miscreants. The pages of these diaries indicated a very clear cut involvement of Raw Agents in worsening the law and order situation in these areas. These are the reasons for which Pakistan is always worried about the increasing involvement of India in Afghanistan. If General Pasha has ever talked to Mr. Karzai on this issue, he has committed no crime. Being the chief of ISI, what else one can expect of him. He heads a department whose sole responsibility is to take care of the interests of Pakistan on every front.

As far as General Pasha’s proposal regarding the negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban is concerned, it also indicates the peace-loving approach of Pakistan. Since very after its creation, Pakistan has always been a very staunch supporter and promoter of the world peace. Pakistan has always fully supported each and every effort done for the peace and prosperity everywhere in the world. The Taliban are no doubt the Muslims and they have a natural inclination towards all Islamic countries. They take this war against USA and other Allied forces not as a war but as Jihad. As a result of a planned conspiracy, different foreign elements have very successfully hijacked some groups of Taliban and defamed them as terrorists and extremists .However still there are so many groups which do not own terrorist activities going on in the name of Taliban. Such groups are in majority and they simply want the liberation of their motherland from the cruel clutches of the foreign invaders. The government of Pakistan knows very well that such Taliban groups can be very useful in the maintenance of peace in Afghanistan. If Pakistan has offered its services for the existence of peace in Afghanistan, again it is neither a sin nor a crime.

Since after the revelation of Obama’s intention of leaving Afghanistan by 2011, India has been trying its best to be the future care-taker of Afghanistan. It knows very well that the local Afghan people would never be ready to accept Indian hegemony in their motherland. They would have a natural leaning towards Pakistan after they succeed in getting rid of the USA and the Allied forces. That is the reason that India is trying to create misunderstandings between Afghan Taliban and Pakistan. A picture is being portrayed as if Pakistan is manipulating the situation in Afghanistan by playing under hand game against Taliban whereas at the same time India is trying to introduce itself as a very passionate well-wisher and sympathizer of the Afghan people.

On 5th March, 2010, National Security Adviser of India Shivshankar Menon arrived Kabul on a two-day visit. He had a meeting with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai and discussed the issue of security of about 4,000 Indians who, according to him, are untiringly engaged in working at different rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in Afghanistan. Menon also met his Afghan counterpart Rangin Dadfar Spanta. In both of these meetings he seemed very much worried about the investigations into the February 26 Kabul attacks that targeted guest houses frequently visited by Indians. These attacks took the lives of seven Indians, including three major-rank Indian Army officers. The National Security Adviser conveyed the apprehensions of the Indian government regarding the safety of its nationals in Afghanistan. He suggested some proposals including setting up of protected venues where the Indians working on projects could be housed. He also suggested deployment of more security personnel at places where Indians work. In short the basic purpose behind this visit was to pave a way for the deployment of more security personnel which would be surely coming from India. In the light of Menon’s visit and proposals, it can be very easily estimated that the Kabul Attacks were the artistic work of no one else but of RAW and the only motive behind was to push more RAW agents into the Afghan soil.

It is very unfair and unjust to drag the hi-ups of the ISI into such nonsense type of affairs. ISI is a part of Pakistan army and its only objective is to safeguard the interest of Pakistan. The words spoken by the ISI chief represent the feelings and thoughts of the whole of Pakistani nation. There must be nothing secret if General Ahmed Shuja Pasha has ever talked to the Afghan president but even then RAW will have to provide proofs for its artistic and adventurous ‘research’.

Author is a Pakistan based bilingual analyst on national and international strategic and defense affairs. Email: alisukhanver@hotmail.com