Article first published in Daily time on 11-Oct-2021. Article being published on https://aswidevision.com/ with the consent of writer.
Even after coming out of a two-decades-long war, Afghanistan is still a quagmire. Largely trapped by its political leadership in collaboration with India and world powers, it is, indeed, a sorry sight, especially when looking at its people.
This is the second time in the last four decades that the contest for global positioning is in full swing. A definite indication of just how important this region is in the global context.
The country has been a dilemma for the world for decades. It is a land of people that have a unique culture, great resilience and a huge appetite for fight and survival against oppressors. Afghanistan’s geo-strategic location makes it vulnerable while its rugged terrain provides it with an advantageous edge against the aggressors. A country with such a diversity of geographical, political, cultural heritage can not be a simple phenomenon to deal with. It is a landlocked country, which is totally devoid of industry, modern infrastructure, routine political manoeuvres and regular armed forces. Due to prolonged war, two generations of the country have grown up without education. They only know one skill: “fighting.” Only three million Afghans who have settled in Pakistan in the last forty years have had access to education and normalcy in their lives.
Even before the US attack in 2001, Afghanistan faced serious challenges of governance, provision of basic facilities to the people and in developing effective and legitimate institutions, due to infighting among rival factions. Before the withdrawal of the US forces in August 2021, the country was no different than what it was 20 years ago when the US attacked it in response to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the twin towers. The US left it as it was two decades ago, rather made it worst and unmanageable.
Asian News International (ANI) is the flagship propaganda tool of Indian Chronicles.
At the time of the withdrawal of the US forces, Afghanistan was heavily dependent on international financial aid. Since the departure of the US forces, the country is yet again in quandary. Another human crisis is in the offing due to lack of necessities like food, medicines, clean drinking war. Winter has almost set in most parts of Afghanistan, which will make the life of a common Afghani more difficult.
Pakistan was, Pakistan is and Pakistan will be the most affected country due to unstable Afghanistan. Since the withdrawal, the intensity of cross-border fire on Pakistani border posts and IED attacks have increased manifold; leaving behind dozens of casualties.