Honorable
Prime Minister!
It is really amusing to see that you
have revived an old but forgotten democratic practice of consulting national
parties in opposition. Obviously it wasn't an easy decision for the opposition
to attend this conference and we are even not really delighted to be here, but
when we are here I seek your permission to elaborate the purpose of us all. We
want to attempt along with you for the development of peace & stability in
our country and region.
Before I speak on the actual topic,
I would like to concisely direct your attention towards a very important and
urgent matter. In my opinion, the most severe problem being faced by our
country is the issue of nations dwelling in Pakistan, which is impelling the
sovereignty and stability of this country. This issue has attained such
harshness that our youth is openly stating that they do not see a future in
this country and they don’t want to live with Pakistan. You all live in this
country and hear all sorts of ridiculous slogans, slogans of sindhudesh,
slogans of independent Balochistan, slogans of independent pakhtunkhwa and etc.
Such slogans are not being elevated out of leisure but are a consequence of regularly
overlooked and thoughtless strategies adopted by our rulers for past 40 years,
and as a result of which, Sindh, Balochistan and Frontier have been forced to
probe if they have any future in this country of not. Even if I agree with you
that such slogans are of extremist nature and in result of false accusations,
ignoring them like this will also be unwise and contrary to the realistic
situation. What we observe of it is an expression of profound sense of
preclusion provoked by insolent attitude and brutal strategies of our rulers. I
do not agree with the point that Bangladesh is an outcome of Indian
interference, but imprudent approaches of our rulers provoked the Bangalis to
extend invitation to India, which it accepted. If current conditions of the
country stay as it is, the disappointed people specially the youth won’t seek direction
of those with customary doctrine such as us. Let me state it openly here that
if we fail to resolve this issue, the consequences will be far vicious then the
Afghan issue, for the sovereignty and autonomy of Pakistan, therefore respected
prime minister! I request you to call a conference on this issue, and request
you to invite the opposition and government to sit together and exchange views
openly for the resolution of burning issue of the rights of nations and as a
start at least implement MRD’s joint resolution of Lahore. I am not amongst
those who make extreme demands and I never support such actions that weaken the
country or break it in parts, but I would like to state one thing openly and
clearly that I am also not amongst those who do not contest against the efforts
of enslaving historically dwelling nations in this country. Therefore I once
again request you to help the country stage out of disappointments, disarray
and terrorism. Let us do our part to ensure the sovereignty of Pakistan and
unity and harmony of its people.
Coming towards the issue of
Afghanistan, it’s grim indeed that our rulers have tangled Pakistan in to
Afghan clash; I say this because it wasn’t at all inevitable for the better
welfare of Pakistan. When General Zia ul Haq and his government decided to indulge
Pakistan in this bog, I was amongst those who warned of its consequences. The
basis of our opinion was as follows:
Afghanistan has recently seen a
revolution. The people in Afghanistan have changed their government. It is
entirely their internal problem that we shall not be bothered about. Why are
our generals unnecessarily worried about it? We our self-have replaced the
Government in Pakistan several times, a civilian government one day and
military rule the other, and then followed by a semi-military or semi-civilian
government, has anyone asked us or have we ever permitted anyone to ask why it’s
so? Afghanistan has gone through a transformation; it is entirely matter of
Afghans which shall not be of concern to us. Let me also remind its historical
aspect that Afghanistan and Iran, the two buffer states between the Russian and
British Empire, got out of the conflict with Iran’s Islamic and Afghanistan’s
National Democratic Revolutions, dramatically changing the entire regional
situation. The two nations stepped out of the sway of Western power leaving no
other option for America then to struggle for independent grips in Indian
Ocean, Persian Gulf, central, western and eastern Asia, to safeguard its
perceived or concealed interests. The states of Arab Kings or Sheikhs were not
capable of serving this requirement. Take a look at the regional situation; the
interests of World’s four major powers are affianced at one place; China,
Russia and India being geographical close to Afghanistan and America with its
interests and naval and strategic presence. In this situation America had to
formulate a strategy to ensure its presence or dominant representation in
region. America began by trying to replace the impartial Government of Zahir
Shah, with help from his son-in-law and Abdul Wali the son of Shah wali, with a
dependent government, but the plan failed when Sardar Dawood with the support
Till now we have been giving the
excuse that though we have been severely effected but we don’t have any active role
in it, but now if we hinder the return of Russian army we will not be able to
protect this war from entering Pakistani territory. This will not only distress
the stability of Pakistan but will disturb the entire region. Even countries
such as India who have stayed away from this issue will be dragged in the
disturbance. The entire subcontinent will fall under this disruption. It is barely
imaginable that Pakistan will put at stake its interests just to safeguard the
interests of America in this region. We cannot risk the existence of our
country for the sake of America. Let me warn here that if conditions arise such
as this, they don’t just change the environments but also render geographical
changes and with context to the existing internal conflicts and problems in
Pakistan, you can well imagine our possibilities in this situation. Therefore
it is strongly submitted that Pakistan shall firmly adhere to an unbiased
strategy and shall refrain from embracing astigmatic and indoctrinated
strategies that benefit only the others. You may still recall the consequences
of astigmatic strategies that turned East Pakistan into Bangladesh, if we still
continue with the same mistakes by willfully ignoring the ground facts and take
another such step, it’s quite possible that we will have to suffer far
devastating and damaging consequences then 1971. We don’t have any hostilities
against Afghanistan or Russia, but our immediate concern is how to ensure the
return of Afghan refugees. We are not concerned which government the Afghan’s
choose for them, either it be an interim government, a coalition or a national government.
What we are concerned with is the safe return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.
Neither Afghanistan nor Russia has shaped any disruption in the return of these
refugees. We don’t have any justification to refuse signing Geneva accord by
imposing our conditions. By doing so we are only obstructing the return of
refugees to their homeland. After signing the accord we will have the right to
ask for the return of Afghan refugees if the Afghan government tries to
obstruct their return, but we are lost in the fog of delusions. We are
imagining that Russia has been defeated and Dr. Najib has lost his influence.
Please step out of this falsehood. No
one has conquered Afghanistan to dictate their conditions for reconciliation.
Russia is leaving Afghanistan for its own necessities and in response to the
international plea. Neither your power nor the power of mujahidin has forced it
out.
One of my friends Mr Qazi Hussain
Ahmed has gone so far to say that we are not the hunting dogs that will hand
the hunted to anyone else. What is this? For God’s sake please explain who the
hunter is and who is the hunted. Poor helpless refugees are themselves in
trouble, who can’t even return back to their homes, what makes you think that
Russia has been defeated or hunted? And then you even say that Afghan
government doesn’t has any say over more than 20% of Afghanistan. Being a close
neighbor of Afghanistan I do have some information regarding Afghan Revolution.
When in past has any government had a hold over entire Afghanistan? Afghanistan
has always been a large state like Kalat State. You can travel for hundreds and
miles and couldn’t find police or any conventional instrument of government
system. You cant see any sign of Government anywhere. Same is with Afghanistan,
Government’s hold is limited to a few major cities like Kabul, Kandhar, Herat,
Mizar Shareef or at most Lugman and other similar centers, apart from this the
remaining tribal parts in context of their historical backwardness and
conservativeness, have always been without any conventional system of
government. If such areas of Afghanistan can be considered independent than
there are many similar areas in Balochistan that can also be considered
independent as Government of Pakistan has no practical existence in such areas.
Does it depict a serious attitude? Can someone in his due consciousness claim
that the areas of Balochistan where government machinery doesn’t exist do not
fall under Pakistan’s domain?
Dear friends! No one has occupied
even an inch of Afghanistan. Those who claim to have conquered 80% of
Afghanistan might have occupied Khost for some time but that even was reclaimed
by Afghan government, apart from this which area is under their rule? None! All
such claims are worthless. Therefore we state that now when a probable
resolution is apparent we shall abstain from distressing as to the kind of
possible government. All conditions pertaining to the 4 documents of Geneva accord
have been fulfilled including the document of time frame for the return of
Soviet army. We shall also sign the agreement and after the signing we shall
start negotiating with the Afghan government for the return of Afghan
immigrants, in which we shall state that they should arrange a camp here for this
purpose and shall facilitate as necessary. This is all that is left to do now.
Honorable Prime Minister! I would
like to bring it in your attention that it shall be ensured that these
immigrants should be evacuated under the supervision of army, as the villages
that are located in their way are prone to the hazard of robbery and other
harms. It shall be ensured that the immigrants should return to their homes
with harmony and peace without distressing their relation with the native
population. There is no cause or validation left to drag this question further.
We cannot let anyone upset the interests of Pakistan for the sake of Afghan
immigrants or America. Our core focus shall be the welfare of Pakistan. It
would be in vain to argue whether we accept Afghan government or not, who have
we signed Geneva accord with. We have our embassies in Afghanistan, and so do
they in Pakistan, what else is acceptance? You have accepted Afghan government;
all countries of the world have accepted the Afghan government and conduct
their matters with them. You will complicate things further if you indulge in
the argument of evidence of its legal existence. If such an issue arises it
will become very problematic for us to prove the legal position of our own
government, so let’s just put this issue aside. At the moment Najib Ullah’s
government is the government of Afghanistan. You state that immigrants and
mujahedeen shall also be included as party to the Geneva accord but in which
capacity? Can I inquire as to their status? Are they the government of
Afghanistan? Does anyone even considers them as government of Afghanistan? Merely
saying that we do not accept Najib’s government is not a sufficient argument.
If you have accepted it then sign the Geneva accord and initiate dialogue with Afghan
government for the return of Afghan immigrants.
Please do not hinder the return of Soviet
army from Afghanistan and return of Afghan immigrants and mujahedeen from Pakistan,
who will become an incredibly enormous concern for Pakistan in the future. The game
being played by these mujahedeen and their brave master America will bring destructive
consequences for the future of not only Pakistan but the entire region.
