Our main concern and need is a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan

Jahangir’s World Times: What are Pakistan’s long term and short term interests in Afghanistan and how Pakistan is pursuing these interests?

Ayaz Wazir: Well, Pakistan’s interests are very deep in Afghanistan. We have the same tribes divided between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both of us have strong bonds of relationship but at times some hiccups do come in this relationship. Our main concern and need is a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. A peaceful and prosperous immediate neighbor on our western border will directly affect our people not only in the border and tribal areas but deeper parts of the country as well. Here I would like to mention a saying of Allama Iqbal he said, ‘If we take Asia as a human body then Afghanistan is the heart of that human body, if the heart is sick then the entire body is sick if the heart is healthy then the entire body is healthy’. The short term interests not only of Pakistan but of the entire region  are to find out a political solution of the Afghan problem. In fact, a political solution only can take Afghanistan to a positive direction when the NATO and US forces will be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2014.

JWT: What was Musharaf’s policy towards Afghanistan?

AW: Mushraf was a real disaster for Pakistan. We were so unfortunate to have an Army Chief as well as President like him; he was the most coward man on earth that I have ever seen. He used to call himself ‘Commando’ , a fearless soldier, yet he was so scared all the time that he always keep with him his pistol. Being a president of Pakistan the whole country is before you the whole army is with you so whom you are scare of  or are you going to kill; and if he is brave enough as a ‘commando’ then why dose not he come back to Pakistan instead he ran away. I would again say we were very unfortunate Musharaf has literally ruined the country. In fact, he imposed a war on Pakistan which was not ours he had a prime minister, he had a parliament and at the same time he was Chief of Army Staff as well as the president of Pakistan but even than he did not consult anyone. Instead, he took a unilateral decision and he thought his own security synonymous to the security of Pakistan. Actually, he wanted to get himself accepted from the west and the incident of 9/11 gave him the chance to do so. Here another example I would like to give, when he was going first time to attend the UN General Assembly session it was prior 9/11 so, he was transiting through Manchester and I was Council General at Manchester I received him personally because that was the part of duty . I was there with my ambassador to receive him believe you me nobody in the British government was willing to give us a room to receive the president at the airport. So, by the help of a Pakistani who was in the administration of the airport we could able to arrange a small room which is used by the personal staff of the queen when they are coming and going and in that room there was no proper arrangement in that room so again by the help of that Pakistani we brought a sofa in the room and we received him there and there were no one from the British government to receive him. But after the 9/11 the whole thing turned upside down because Musharaf sold the country for himself. In fact, he had not any policy for Afghanistan, there were no policy but he was following the policy of America on Afghanistan as it is. Another catastrophe which he brought in was the deploying of Army in tribal areas. Quaid-E-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah promised with the tribesmen in Peshawar ‘We (Pak) will not interfere in your area without consulting you and we will do whatever humanly possible to develop you politically and economically to bring out from the poverty’. Musharaf was the first to shatter his commitment by deploying the army without consulting the tribesmen. So since 2003 till today our army is fighting with our own people not with a foreign army. This region was guarded by the tribes for us for 60 years and we did not spend a penny on them and now the 150 thousand troops are deployed and one can well imagine its cost.

JWT: How do you see the role of India in Afghanistan as a balancer or perpetrator?

AW: Well, it depends how you look upon it or how the Indian work over there. I had an Indian fellow here yes terday working with me in a conference she asked the same question I replied if the Indians are there to help the Afghanistan, to develop their infrastructure, extend their support in all fields other than military then the role of India would not be a concern to anyone. India and Afghanistan are two independent countries they can make deals even a strategic one. Pakistan cannot impose any decision on Afghanistan or India but it would be good for both India and Afghanistan to take care of the sensitivities of Pakistan. Pakistan should not interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan similarly India and Afghanistan should also not interfere in the internal matters of Pakistan.

JWT: Decisions made in the Boon Conference are binding on whom and do you foresee any significant change in the Foreign Policy of Pakistan after ‘Ambassadors Conference’?

AW:  Well ‘Boon conference’ will not be a boon for the Afghanistan problem because Pakistan a very important immediate neighbor boycotted the conference. Similarly  the ‘Taliban’, the main rival factor, did not attend the conference in fact, they were not part of  any of such conference like Istanbul conference. In fact, Boon Conference have opened the flood gate of disunity among the NATO, I heard from a very credible source that France is going to call back its troops from Afghanistan although it has not a larger share.

As far as the recently held ‘Ambassador Conference’ is concerned, I would say it is the routine matter of the ‘Foreign Office’. Actually, envoys are called to give their input as to how the countries where they are serving in are looking at Pakistan after the Salala incident and how they see the Pakistan’s reactions after the attack. Moreover, if Pakistan makes drastic changes then what repercussions are expected particularly from the west and from the other important countries? So, the envoys would give a very honest and correct opinion suppose our envoy in China will tell us how the Chinese would react if we do this and this. Now in the light of this input the political leadership is to decide what to do, envoys do not make decisions they can give proposals. Well we have a saying i.e. the moon for celebrating eid is important and you have to see on the first day you do not see it every day. We have seen the present government from last four years what they had done in these years then how can we expect a miracle in the last one year these all are rhetoric they will do as we say ( Purani Tankhaw Pay nokri ker lain gay). Obviously, they are keeping the army happy and to calm the public to in cash on the sentiments but we have seen what they had done. If they were sincere to the nation they would have not disrespect in the Supreme Court so much.

Any Message 

I cannot forget an advice of a ‘Foreign Minister’ of Middle Eastern country, he told me in confidence on the condition that I will not mention his name. He said, ‘Can’t you advice your ministers when they go out on tours that they should behave like a minister of a very strong nation you are representing a ‘Nuclear power’.’ Unfortunately when they go out they seek their personal interests.  My message is that our honor lies in our collective respect. If we respect the collective will of our people then the world will respect us. So, the country and the people comes first but not like Musharaf as he said (Sub say Pehley Pakistan but Pakistan was the last in his policies West and his own interest was first). Let the institution should do their own work, Army should do its own, Judiciary its own and Foreign office should do their own work. For the foreign policy decisions, counsel with all the concerned institutions, but then leave it up to the Foreign Office.