Qamar Bashir<\/p>\n
They all were busy accumulating unimaginable wealth by letting this deplorable practice continue unabated, benefiting the Afghans and Afghan government and inflicting infectious and incurable wounds to the country\u2019s economy and its financial wellbeing.
\nThe Afghan government and its people, who were the primary beneficiaries of this deplorable illegal process, became increasingly audacious and confident. They believed that this practice would persist due to perceived political obligations, a notion that was, unfortunately, validated by Pakistan\u2019s historical appeasement policy toward Afghanistan. Despite being fully aware of the severe harm it caused to Pakistan\u2019s interests, successive governments and establishments pursued this policy.
\nThis complacency reached a point where it threatened the very existence of Pakistan. Afghanistan not only provided shelter to secessionists, separatists, and rebels from within Pakistan but also offered safe havens to groups like the TTP and Baloch insurgents. To date, they continue to refuse to take action against these elements and even enable them to launch terrorist attacks from Afghan soil into Pakistan. These attacks have resulted in the loss of numerous innocent lives, including law enforcement personnel, all with complete impunity.
\nWhen pressed to take measures against criminals and terrorists operating from its territory, Afghanistan not only sidestepped responsibility but also shifted the blame onto the government of Pakistan and its law enforcement agencies. They accused Pakistan of complacency and taunted them, insinuating an inability to control and restrain their own citizens, deflecting responsibility for addressing the pressing security concerns emanating from their soil.
\nTheir audacity reached such levels that they even cultivated Afghans who had found shelter, sustenance, clothing, and business opportunities in Pakistan, turning them into facilitators, abettors, and accomplices for launching terrorist attacks within Pakistan. They seemed confident that Pakistan\u2019s government, in an attempt to maintain favorable relations with the United Nations and adhere to its appeasement policy toward the Afghan government, would continue to turn a blind eye.
\nHowever, what they didn\u2019t anticipate was the transformation in Pakistan\u2019s stance. Under the leadership of the resolute Army Chief and a government determined to prioritize national interests above all else, Pakistan has adopted a different mindset. It is now prepared to take decisive steps in its own national interest, without hesitation, fear, favor, or discrimination, and without showing mercy when required.
\nAs someone who has witnessed numerous governments and establishments not only turning a blind eye to but also benefiting from a wide range of illegal activities and processes, including the Afghan transit trade, smuggling of petroleum products, goods, and foodstuffs from Iran, as well as the hoarding and smuggling of essential commodities such as wheat, sugar, oil, fertilizer, cement, and more to various countries, including those in Central Asia, it was disheartening.
\nThe export of wheat and sugar when it was urgently needed domestically, followed by their expensive import, often accompanied by substantial government subsidies, reflects a troubling pattern. This, coupled with rampant corruption, widespread gas, water, and electricity theft, and the unchecked looting of state resources with impunity, paints a stark picture of the challenges Pakistan has faced in combating these longstanding issues.
\nThe recent actions taken by the interim government and establishment are like a melodious tune to our ears. For a long time, we yearned to witness strong actions against these criminals. The failure of successive governments to address these issues had caused us countless sleepless nights and drained away much of our hope for progress and development, especially when we saw neighboring nations and countries worldwide advancing steadily.
\nDeep down, we always believed in the resilience of our nation and the strength of our institutions. We knew that we could achieve great things, provided we had the determination and will to do so. Thankfully, the current administration has demonstrated this much-needed resolve and commitment. We have begun to witness a shift in the right direction, a change that even someone like Mr. Shabbar Zaidi, known for his doomsday scenarios, has applauded as life-saving measures taken by the interim government.
\nThe writer is a former press secretary to the President and former press minister to the Embassy of Pakistan to France.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Qamar Bashir They all were busy accumulating unimaginable wealth by letting this deplorable practice continue unabated, benefiting the Afghans and Afghan government and inflicting infectious and incurable wounds to the country\u2019s economy and its financial wellbeing. The Afghan government and its people, who were the primary beneficiaries of this deplorable illegal process, became increasingly audacious […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[12456],"class_list":{"0":"post-360857","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-qamar-bashir"},"yoast_head":"\n