By Mobarak Haider
Imran Khan said President Trump does not know the background of Afghan disaster. But does this cricketer know that background?
fter the Soviet withdrawal Usama Bin Laden started the movement for Revival of Islamic Empire which Syed Maudoodi and Syed Qutb had proposed. He started with Saudi Arabia. Saudis had kept some American troops on their soil after US redeemed Kuwait from Saddam. UBL demanded the American army to leave Saudi Arabia, which Saudis and Americans ignored. He started terrorist attacks on American embassies, proudly accepting responsibility, and was declared a terrorist. He shifted to Afghanistan where Islamic Emirate of Taliban, under Mullah Umar, gave him the status of the most respected guest and guru.
It is true that Taliban and Alqaeda were products of US war against Soviets. But after the US left, Pakistan’s deep state took charge of these forces as its strategic depth into Afghanistan and for international drug trade. They also invented the narrative that these terrorists are the U.S. product (and they work for the U.S.), a narrative countless innocent Muslims believe and push.
Soon the mysterious blasting of Ojri Camp in Rawalpindi was organized to wipe away record of huge piles of American arms left behind by the war. Two generals of Zia, Gen. Fazle-Haq and Gen. Chishti are said to have proposed a detailed plan of drug trade to pay off Pakistan’s debt and army expansion needs. Pakistan earned a leading name as exporter of heroin.
Let us tell Imran Khan that on the 11th of Sept. 2001, this Sheikh of Islam blasted the Twin Towers of New York, killing more than 3000 America civilians, and callously issued tapes taking credit of this massacre.
United States demanded that Taliban regime hand over this terrorist gangster for trial. Taliban refused and declared Bin Laden as their honored guest and leader who they will defend at all cost. It is believed Pakistan’s ruling junta gave Taliban tacit approval.
It was then that United States, with international approval, invaded Afghanistan as a terror-hosting rogue state.
Pakistan, the only nation beside KSA, that had recognized Taliban regime, agreed to grant passage and support to American forces. But it simultaneously provided sanctuaries to Taliban and Bin Laden. It was a weird arrangement: Taliban were Pakistan’s ideological and strategic assets while US was its naive but grumbling pay-master. Both had Pakistan’s ‘full support’….. Pakistan always denied protecting Taliban but their presence in Pakistan’s cities was always common knowledge. Ben Laden was ‘never in Pakistan’ but he was always in Pakistan.
The opportunistic game of greed and disaster that Pakistan’s deep state started at the end of Afghan War, has resulted in the disaster and bloodshed that Pakistan’s callous crooks keep showing as their sacrifice. The sad truth is that it is not their sacrifice but an unwilling sacrifice of helpless common folk of Pakistan, civil and military, who are too deeply doped on faith and hate to rise against their killers.
The whole world hopes to see a secure Afghanistan that existed till seventees as a far brighter and more civilized nation than Pakistan has ever been. But megalomania and anti-India paranoia of Pakistan’s upper circles keep breeding tragedies that tear its own limbs and hurt the world.
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