Only Allah Knows Why

A war was about to break out between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but no one is interested in it

The question about 40 kilometers of the Afghan territory is a lump in Hamid Karzai's throat. The world has been silently watching the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan about the affiliation of the northwestern region of Mohmand.

On July 6th 2003, Hamid Karzai released a statement, in which he harshly criticized Pakistan - the Afghan Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to the country. On July 7th 2003, a massive demonstration of protest took place in Kabul: about a thousand of students, led by central bank governor Anwar Ul-haq Ahady, protested against Pakistan's official stance. Another student demonstration took place in Kabul on July 8th - protesters attacked the Pakistani embassy in Kabul. Pashtuns and followers of such parties as Afghan Malat (Afghan Social Democratic Front) and Harakat-e-Islami went out in the streets too. The same day, a massive demonstration of protest took place in Mazar-i-Sharif. Pakistan closed its representative office in Kabul. Pakistani ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmmand released a harsh statement against the actions of the Afghan government.

All those events prove, the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have become escalated. Being concerned with the regulation of the home crisis, issues of the Afghan economy and security, Hamid Karzai could not imagine in his wildest dreams that Pakistanis would trespass 40 kilometers far inland Afghanistan. Pakistan never ventured to dispatch its troops in Afghanistan during the time, when Afghanistan was ruled by Talibs.

Analyzing the policy of the up-to-date Afghanistan, one may come to strange and contradictory conclusions. Each governor and each province, military departments and ministers work on the base of their own rule, whereas the Kabul-based central government and some of its followers feel very lonely and helpless. It is also worth mentioning that such ethnic minorities leaders as Ismail Khan, Rashid Dostum, Hazrat Ali, Ata Mohammad have not said anything on the issue yet, but Pashtun leaders Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani and Anwar Ul-haq Ahady take their people in the streets. In other words, they are showing it to everyone - Pashtuns can do everything.

Anwar Ul-haq Ahady is the Afghan Central Bank governor, and Gailani used to take the position of the vice president during the time when Mujahideens were at power, prior to the Taliban regime.

In a statement of July 6th, Hamid Karzai said, the Pakistani army had invaded the Pashtun fatherland. Karzai added, Pashtuns were ready to defend it till the last gun was fired. Hamid Karzai also established a committee that had already left for the conflict area.

Pakistan was very unhappy with the fact that Afghan demonstrators burnt Pervez Musharraf's doll and attacked the embassy in Kabul. Pakistani officials set out three conditions for its embassy to start working again in Kabul. First and foremost, a senior Afghan official will have to apologize, organizers of the pogrom will have to be arrested and Afghans will have to compensate the damage. In a telephone conversation with Pervez Musharraf, Hamid Karzai presented his official apologies. The Afghan president also asked Pakistan to withdraw the troops from Afghanistan.

PRAVDA.Ru correspondent managed to interview a high-ranking official of the Afghan Security Service during his visit to the capital of the Uzbekistan republic, Tashkent.

Until recently, Pakistan sympathized with Afghanistan, but now it has become its enemy. Why did it happen so?

Pakistan has never been a friend for Afghanistan, it could be perfectly seen during the Taliban regime. Pakistan has always wanted to use our country for its own interests. I would like to remind that President Musharraf promised during his visit to the USA that Pakistan would not be interfering in other countries' internet affairs, including Afghanistan. However, Pakistan has not kept the promise, and now it is going to occupy our territory.

What did the Afghan government do in connection with such actions on the part of Pakistan? How could those demonstrations of protest and the pogrom of the embassy happen in Kabul despite all security measures?

President Karzai contacted Musharraf on the phone and reminded him of the promise that the Pakistani president had made in the USA. He also demanded the immediate withdrawal of Pakistani troops from Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai apologized for the pogrom of the embassy too. The security control system is rather tough in Kabul, but we can not shoot at our own citizens.

Why do you think the Pakistani Foreign Ministry did not respond to the note of protest from Afghanistan?

Only Allah and Musharraf know it. We would like to say that Pakistan in the country, in which promises and actions often differ from each other.

Why doesn't the USA or other Afghanistan-protecting countries release any statements on the issue?

It is not like that, actually. Every country takes certain measures, when they thoroughly study a certain issue. Kabul has been actively negotiating this question with several friendly countries.

What is the situation like in Afghanistan now?

A situation can not be improved in a year or two. The efforts taken on the international level have weakened a lot. It goes without saying that we need help - the economic, political, scientific help to put Afghanistan on its feet.