Abstract:
The Kabul Declaration of Non-intervention signed by Afghanistan and its six neighbors and
the preliminary agreement between Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan on the extension
of the $3.2 billion gas pipeline project from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan are
considered as two of the most significant developments in post-Taleban era. While the former
would benefit Afghanistan politically, the latter would boost up its economy for the undertaking
of further economic reconstruction efforts.
If one were asked about the most significant developments in post-Taleban Afghanistan,
he would probably respond with a great degree of certainty that they are the
two most
recent political and economic events that would shape the future of Afghanistan
with
positive repercussions on the affairs of the region.
On the political field, the signing of the Kabul Declaration of Non-intervention
and
Cooperation between Afghanistan and its six neighbors is one of the most important
developments in the contemporary history of Afghanistan.
The Kabul declaration was singed by foreign ministers or ambassadors of Afghanistan's
neighbors, China, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan last
Saturday.
The signing ceremony was also observed by representatives of India, Turkey the
United
Nations and a few other interested parties. It points to the beginning of an
era whereby
the Afghans would be let to decide their own destiny without foreign interference
which
caused most of the turmoil in their land over the past two and a half decades.
The
Soviet direct intervention and invasion, followed by interference by regional
and world
powers including many of Afghanistan's neighbors deprived the Afghan nation
of the
opportunity to seek peace, based on Afghan needs, traditions and aspirations.
The self
seeking neighbors were thus the cause of much of misery and suffering and thousands
upon thousands of casualties. The Afghans themselves are to blame, too, for
succumbing to foreign intrigues and playing puppets in the hands of international
puppeteers.
During the long war for Afghanistan's deliverance from the Soviet occupation
and later
from the clutches of the warlords' war, waged for personal domination, some
national
elements sought a variety of solutions. One solution that stuck out in the minds
of many
was Afghanistan's full neutrality and nonalignment like Switzerland and Austria
to be
recognized legally by the international community and the United Nations. This,
it was
thought, would prevent interference in the internal affairs of the country and
would
provide it a chance to establish peace within its borders. But there were many
hurdles to
achieve this end including legal implications. For Afghanistan's legal neutrality,
the
decision was to be taken by an elected congress representing the nation. There
was no
such body in existence. Also the document needed to be agreed upon by Afghanistan's
neighbors who would not sign such a treaty that would shorten their hands from
supporting warring groups of their choice within Afghanistan and forcing them
to
abandon their many interests in intervening in Afghanistan. Furthermore, such
a status
needed to be recognized by the United Nations in whose Security Council sat
the
representative of the Soviet Union, one of the major manipulators of the affairs
in
Afghanistan and a country that was a superpower and held the power of veto in
the UN
system.
Thus the war continued without any effective measure to stop foreign interference
in
Afghanistan. It was interesting to note that while the world observed for itself
and while
the United Nations openly reported interference from abroad in keeping the war
going on
in Afghanistan, all the parties concerned denied their blunt support for the
factions and
groups of their choice in the country.
While the miracle of the Bonn meeting on Afghanistan paved the way for a solution
and
the United States determination to fight Taleban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan
brought
the clergy to its knees, a new era of hope began for the Afghan nation. But
this era is
also filled with fear, apprehension and a snail-pace movement towards obtaining
of
normalcy in the war torn country.
Recently, President of the Transitional government in Afghanistan, Mr. Hamed
Karzai
admitted to the huge problems his administration faces today. Speaking at a
function at
the interior ministry, Karzai conceded his government had failed to prevent
factional
fighting in some parts of the country and also in its efforts to disarm rival
groups.
"Although compared to other years, last year was much better. Highway
robbery,
extortion, rape, murder and plunder have not been wiped out and in some cases
these
obscene acts are committed by forces who 'de facto' claim to be responsible
for people's
security," Karzai said.
It is unfortunate to note that factional war was directed, financed and armed
by foreign
sources who eyed their own interests in Afghanistan to the detriment of the
Afghan
nation.
The Kabul Declaration, therefore, is one of the most significant events that
when
properly implemented would ensure true freedom and independence of the Afghan
regimes in conducting national and international politics of their country.
This is also
significant now that the Soviet power is ousted from the international balance
of powers
and that the world has become unipolar with only one superpower. The classical
doctrine of non-alignment envisaged in Bandung decades ago does not hold today.
Therefore, too, the Kabul Declaration of nonintervention and cooperation would
serve as
the best alternative available under the present day conditions.
The very fact that the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved
the
declaration provides further credence to the document as well as further obligation
for
the world body to watch over its full implementation.
The second glimmer of hope comes from the field of economic development. Energy
and oil have been blamed for much of the politicking in our world. Now that
there is
energy in great quantities in Turkmenistan and markets for it in the sub-continent
of
India, the problem of security along the course of a proposed pipeline to deliver
natural
gas from Daulatabad Fields in Turkmenistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan by a
900 mile
pipeline, is also considered to have been removed considerably because of the
establishment of a representative government in Afghanistan. International politics,
conglomerate policies, oil companies, world governments and suppliers and demanders
all had failed to find a solution to the problem of the protracted war and insecurity
in the
land of the Afghans through which they wanted the pipeline to be extended. Now
they
need to think differently.
Last Thursday, Saparmurat Nyazov, the Turkmen president received in his residence
in
Ashkabad, President Karzai of Afghanistan and Zafarullah Khan Jamali the prime
minister of Pakistan for concluding of an agreement on the extension of the
gas pipeline
from Turkmenistan to Pakistan Although this is one of the most preliminary official
steps,
it is a significant development in that it opens the door for serious consideration
by
interested companies to take part in this lucrative investment.
Afghanistan alone will benefit from the project by receiving an income of $300
million
per year as well as from the 12,000 jobs that the extension process would create.
Future prospects of the project to be extended further into India are also under
consideration and if it were not for the strained political environment between
Pakistan
and India, the extension would have been considered even now.
An annual income from the pipeline for Afghanistan would go a long way in the
process
of its much needed economic reconstruction in a post-Taleban era. 12/28/02