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Taliban said to have ‘de facto sanctuary’ in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The Pakistani leadership, particularly the leadership of religious parties, offers support and “a de facto sanctuary” to the Taliban in Pakistan. The Taliban also take advantage of financial and military resources they receive in Pakistan to reorganise and strengthen themselves, according to Pamela Constable of the Washington Post.

The former South Asia correspondent and the current deputy foreign editor of the newspaper, who recently returned form the area and is making another visit this month, told a meeting at the Johns Hopkins University that the situation in Afghanistan was “bleak”, but it also had some “bright” spots. Referring to the Taliban insurgency, she pointed out that the majority of Afghans did not want the Taliban in power. However, given the leadership void in the central government in Afghanistan, the Taliban see an opportunity for assuming power, and have now re-emerged from villages and stepped into leadership roles.

The role of Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Afghanistan, she stressed, was “significant”. The recent peace deal he signed with tribal leaders in Waziristan could be interpreted in a number of ways. One perspective is that Musharraf is acting on the belief that the security of Pakistan is inextricably intertwined with the security of Afghanistan. Another view is that he is responding to the enormous international pressure his nation faces to cooperate in the war on terror. She noted that talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan were predicated on a “timeless tradition” to solve problems by negotiating deals. However, although Musharraf is a “tough and smart leader, with his heart in the right place”, he has “not been able to make progress” in a number of cases ranging from tax reform to honour killings.

Constable also observed that there was a “growing globalisation of the Taliban’s message”. Empowered by technology, the Internet and the global pop culture, “the Taliban have become more sophisticated as the world has become more sophisticated”.

At the same time, the Achilles’ heel of Afghanistan is not simply the Taliban insurgency, but rather an institutionalisation of corruption. She said weak institutions and a lack of public support and conviction in the central government were the root causes of Afghanistan’s instability.

Constable also highlighted some promising signs of progress in Afghanistan. Universities in Kabul are “bursting with female students,” and economic and social development is taking place in some areas. The work of mobile rural midwives has been very successful, as it emphasises training and learning in communities. Japanese aid and UNICEF projects are making headway in building and financing elementary schools. Unfortunately, local conflict often kept children home, thus undermining these development efforts, she added. khalid hasan

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