Withdrawal of Nato Troops from Afghanistan
The much awaited withdrawal of Nato troops has started. The
first phase of withdrawal from Afghanistan began on Sunday with the entry of 25
containers into Pakistan. Security sources confirmed that the Convey would be
provided with routine security for its journey from Torkham to Karachi. Custom
officials also confirmed that several containers were examined and cleared
after these entered into Pakistan.
US General, Joseph Dunford has assumed command of Nato
forces in Afghanistan on Sunday, He took over the charge from General John
Allen as the coalition prepares to withdraw the bulk of combat troops by next
year. Marine General Dunford will likely be the last commander of the United
States’ longest war. He has been entrusted the enormous task of taking the
combat soldiers along with their equipment back home after more than 11 years
and overseeing the transfer of Afghan security duties to local forces.
With the commencement of withdrawal two other more pressing
issues also need resolution; on top of the agenda is release of Taliban.
Pakistan has agreed to give a formal role to Afghan High Peace Council in the
release of remaining Taliban detainees. Pakistani authorities would consult the
Council through a new coordination mechanism being put in place before setting
more Taliban prisoners free. The new mechanism gives a say to the Council about
who should be released for being useful in the peace and reconciliation
process.
It has been agreed between Pakistan and Afghanistan to put in
place arrangements to strengthen coordination of Taliban detainee releases from
Pakistani custody in support of the peace and reconciliation process. Pakistan
has already released 26 Taliban. Those released included some high-profile
Afghan commanders and political leadership of the Taliban regime.
“We would send lists of Taliban prisoners that we intend to
release to the Afghan High Peace Council which would comment on the names in
those lists,” Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani told the Senate Foreign
Affairs Committee.
However, rather odd situation seems to prevail with regards
to CIA-operated drone attacks. The Senate Committee was told that Pakistan
could not afford to shoot down US. “We cannot bear the fallout of shooting down
drones,” said Jilani while listing the options available for Pakistan to deal
with US drones violating Pakistan’s airspace.
He said Pakistan’s policy for dealing with drones is two
pronged — reiterating the policy position that drone strikes were counter-productive
and a violation of international law; and holding talks with the US for getting
them stopped. But, he underscored that the best possible option for Pakistan
was to rid its tribal areas of all foreign militants.
“We need to have a comprehensive policy for expelling all
foreign fighters having sanctuaries in Fata,” Jilani said. His views were
endorsed by Senator Mushahid Hussain who said the presence of foreign fighters
gave excuse to other countries to violate our sovereignty.
Pakistan estimates that some 1900 — 3000 people have been
killed in US drone attacks. Chairman Foreign Affairs Committee Senator Haji
Adeel noted that there were about 473 Pakistanis among those killed by drones.
He said that relationship of Pakistani victims with the targets of the drones
was not clear.
Another dimension is that the former commander of US and
Nato forces in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal said that there was
widespread resentment against drone strikes in Pakistan. Earlier he had said that
US drone strikes were “hated on a visceral level”.
He warned that too many
drone strikes in Pakistan without identifying suspected militants individually
can be a bad thing. He asked the Americans how they would react if a neighboring
country like Mexico started firing drone missiles at targets in Texas.
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