Hans Kaitert: North Alliance’s victory is Pakistan’s nightmare

Pakistan urges UN to promptly send a peacekeeping contingent to Afghanistan. Not only Pakistan itself, but also Turkey is ready to offer their soldiers for such a contingent. A sudden seizure of Kabul by the Northern Alliance has turned Pakistan’s worst nightmare into reality. Pakistan, which has for many years supported the Taliban regime and has only ceased to do so after the September 11th, urged the Northern Alliance (together with America) last weekend not to seize Kabul. However, the Northern Alliance did not heeded the request. Pakistani President Pervez Musharaf and US President George Bush have shown concern over the likely repetition of the carnage that took place in Kabul during 1992-1995. The Northern Alliance, as previously, consists of the same Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Khazars. These ethnic minorities had never been in power in Afghanistan before 1982; the power used to belong to the Pashtuns, whom the Taliban largely consists of.

PashtustanPakistan, which is densely inhabited by Pashtuns in its border areas, fears possible unrest. Some of those Pashtuns still dream of having a state of their own, Pashtustan. Should this dream come true, the existing Pakistan and Afghanistan would break up. Now, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Khazars have seized Kabul and carry on advancing on the Pashtun cities of Jelalabad and Kandagar, Pakistan fears clashes to break out with the unruly neighbour.

Over the last 20 years, Pakistan has been doing its best conducting the “divide and rule” game among the Pashtuns. In doing so, Pakistan has been coming across Iran, which retains warm feelings towards Afghan minorities speaking Persian group languages.

The Northern Alliance’s soldiers announced yesterday that they were “fighting not against the Taliban, but against Pakistan,” although its leaders said after the seizure of Kabul that they were planning to share power with Pashtuns who are not linked to the Taliban.

Americans, who cleared the way for the Northern Alliance by their bombings, are now facing resistance on its part. Khazar leader Ismail Khan, who has captured Herat town, has already expressed the popular sentiment: “Many thank to Americans for the bombings, but when we free Afghanistan, they will have to go.”

From the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf Translated by Irina Malenko

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/11/15/33841.html