Pak’s active role in promoting radicalisation impacts regional stability

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan promotes radicalisation and uses hard-line fundamentalists impacting regional stability. This was a common discourse at a two-day international conference on “Radicalization: Threats to the Architecture of Global Stability” organised by IIM Rohtak in New Delhi on December 10-11.

The conference was attended by speakers and delegates from over 25 countries.

Farid Mamundzay, Ambassador of Afghanistan to India pointed out that after the withdrawal of the US Troops from the Afghan soil, the Pakistan Army plundered the arms and ammunitions left behind by the US Army. Hundreds of military vehicles with large quantities of arms and ammunition were taken away by Pakistan Army to Sialkot and other places in Punjab, Pakistan where they manufacture their own military equipment.

Mamundzay also asserted that given the positive role that India has played in rebuilding Afghanistan in the last two decades, it should be made part of the Troika constituted on Afghanistan related issues and also suggested that India should be part of deliberations of any international body constituted for dealing with the issue of Afghanistan crises.

He stated that the International community must exert pressure on the interim–Taliban Government to prevent flagrant human rights violations and improve the status of women.

Hasanul Haq Inu, Member of Parliament, Bangladesh, while comparing the foreign policies of India and Pakistan pointed out that while India has been building schools, educating Afghans, and building other infrastructure in Afganistan, Pakistan on the other hand had butchered more than three million Bangladeshi nationals and molested more than 200,000 women in the 1971 Bangladeshi genocide by the Pakistani Army. He said the “Mullah Military” State of Pakistan has used radicalisation as almost a state policy.

Amriddin Sharipov from Tajik National University stated that given the positive role played by India in the rebuilding of Afghanistan over two decades, Tajikistan believes that India can solve the current Afghanistan crisis.

Former diplomat Abusalat Khaydarov said that India is a major power and its role directly in Central Asia can create peace and stability in the region.

Tahir Gora a Pakistani Canadian International Affairs expert said “Narrow conservative outlook even amongst Muslims living in US and Canada can aid radicalisation”. Gora mentioned that radicalisation is a business and Pakistan is the managing director of this business. They use radicalisation to earn dividends for their generals.

Vijay Kant Karn former Nepalese ambasaador to Denmark said that democracy is the only solution to radicalism. He highlighted the plight of the Afghans and said that Pakistan has exploited the neighborhood principle by consistently disturbing the peace and security in Afghanistan.

He mentioned that JeM and LeT have used Nepal as platform to cross into India and Nepali authorities have often detained them and handed them over to Indian authorities.

Russian expert Prof Vadim Kozyulin said that Panjshir resistance is weak today but if things do not settle down the panjshir resistance will emerge as a strong force and pose a challenge to the Taliban govt.

He said that the Russians assess that there is a large presence of foreign fighters across the Tajik borders.

He said that the TTP will remain a threat to Pakistan for a significant time to come and Pakistan will have to deal with its internal problems before they focus on other countries.

Prof Nabikov of Tajikistan thanked india for large scale vaccine supplies to Tajikistan which helped the country in dealing with covid. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan feel safe under CSTO wherein Russia assures security of these nations. He said Russia is worried about foreign terrorists using the Afghan, Central asia and Russian route to move into Russia.

Drug trade and terrorism would continue to disturb the security situation in not only Afghanistan but also in the region at large. The situation woud increase Russian role in the region.

Kairat Batirbaev from Kazahstan said that the country has several ethic groups. Kazakhstan organises congress of religious leaders from time to time to seek transparency in religious tolerance.

During the peak of the ISIS days Kazakhstan brought back several Kazakh nationals frm fighting zones abroad and tried to deradicalise them. Rehabilitation cntres have been created to deradicalise them, according to Batirbaev.

Kazakhstan also organises dialogue between Central Asian states on deradicalisation. Kazakhstan has also been involved in the Syrian crisis and tries to help seeking peace there.

On Afghanistan he said that Kazakh president took stand that Afghanistan shuld have an inclusive govt and that terror groups should have no role to play in future.

Dr Nuzhat Choudhury from Bangladesh mentioned that her country has suffered from Pakistan during the liberation war. She said that Bangladeshi people were strong and able to defend against Pakistan’s radical agenda. (The Economic Times)