LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) has said that as peace and stability in Afghanistan has a direct impact on Pakistan, we consider it very important to be mindful of our duties towards it.
In a statement issued on Tuesday about the Afghanistan, JI Pakistan said that Afghanistan has experienced an end to war after four long decades and all the neighboring countries and international community should not lose this opportunity to ensure lasting peace and stability. We believe that the best strategy to give peace a chance is through engaging the newly established Taliban government and encouraging it to implement Doha Accord in letter and spirit. International community should not repeat the past mistakes of adopting aggression and hostility as this approach is proven to be futile. Better sense should prevail after loss precious lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, and spending 2.2 trillion dollars on an ill-conceived war. Let’s give the new government a chance, and the required time, to implement what they have themselves committed with the world.
The statement said that after two decades of hostilities in the name of “war on terror”, that later transpired into “war on Islam and Muslims”, it is proper time that United States review its policies towards Afghanistan in particular and the Muslim World in general. Instead of making attempts to conquer and occupy lands, United States and its allies are better advised to engage in dialogue to resolve problems. Securing human rights and women rights is important, but singling one country out and ignoring the rest is not fair behaviour and is indicative of double standards. Some powers still desire to create divisions among Afghan people and foster their own militant proxies for their political motives. Such attempts are dangerous not only for peace in our region, but globally as well. Stability, reconstruction and prosperity will provide benefits to everyone internationally. Afghanistan and this region has suffered a lot in the so-called Great Game of world powers, and should not be made the domain of further violence. Afghanistan needs humanitarian assistance and financial support for governance. Countries that have played a role in the destruction of Afghanistan should bear responsibility for reconstruction and development.
JI Pakistan said that Pakistan is an important stakeholder in furthering peace and stability in Afghanistan. We are connected not only by geography, but also by faith, culture and civilization. Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Central Asian Republics, and other countries of the region have rich historic and civilizational heritage. There are economic prospects for the region that depend on peace and stability in Afghanistan. This is the reason that a recent opinion poll of the people of Pakistan shows an overwhelming majority supporting the Taliban government (GALLUP Poll: 55% supporting while 20% opposing).
The statement said that Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan has the distinction that it has had fraternal relations with Islamic organisations and personalities in Afghanistan that date back more than fifty years now. These relations were intellectual and ideological. The literature produced by Jamaat-e-Islami’s founder Sayyad Abul Ala Maudoodi had made its impact on university campuses in Kabul in the late sixties. When leading personalities in Islamic organisations in Afghanistan faced oppression by Zahir Shah and Daud regimes in the seventies, they migrated to Pakistan and were hosted by Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan was also instrumental in providing relief, shelter and political support to millions of Afghan refugees in the eighties. Owing to this historic role, we consider it our duty to be on the forefront to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.