Taliban and Ashraf Ghani Government are the two sides of the same coin.
By Fateh Sami
Date: 5/07/2021
Time to Remove Ghani from Power.
Since the installation of an interim government, headed by Hamid Karzai in the Bonn conference, the most corrupt people took the law into their own hands. That regime in Bonn was as a direct order, influence, and intercession of Mr. Khalilzad, the so-called US special envoy for Afghanistan. He was insisting that Karzai, as a Pashtun should be at the head of the interim administration. According to Younus Qanuni Hamid former Karzai’s Voice President, Khalkilzad said to the Bonn participants, “Hamid Karzai is the candidate as the head of the Interim Government. That is what the American’s want.” However, Karzai had obtained only two votes and the former King Zaher’s minister of justice, Prof. Satar Seerat secured the majority votes. But because he is from Uzbek ethnic group, so Khalilzad as a Pashtun manipulated under the name of US especial envoy, to put Karzai at the head of the interim government. From that time onward Afghanistan was once again plunged to a chaotic situation, devastation, corruption, bloodshed, poverty, brain drain and on-going conflict without cessation, even for a short break.
Ashraf Ghani as a successor of Karzai was deeply involved in implementing his ethnic domination and sidelined and excluded from decision making, especially those who somehow were opposed to his policy. Consequently, Taliban appeared as a strong antagonistic group challenging his regime. Being worried of the rapid advancement of Taliban, ultimately Ashraf Ghani requested repeatedly to visit Mr Joe Biden to find out a way to overcome the problem, being faced with the danger of Taliban to his government. At last, the American administration accepted his request, but he was received as an unwanted guest, not invited officially. Mr Ghani tried to talk to Mr Biden if he could adopt himself somehow to be in power, at least as the head of the interim administration. People and countries around the world are aware that the people in Afghanistan are being killed every single day because of Ashraf Ghani’s corrupt regime, his mismanagement and ethnic tendency to Taliban.
It seems, therefore, that Mr. Biden’s recent verbal promises to Afghan delegation may be nothing more than keeping silent the Kabul regime. It is a general perception and understanding based on Mr Ghani’s deeds and action in the past has exposed his personality to the Afghan people as a tyrannical, nervous, impatient, divisive, mentally ill, biased, prejudiced, liar, incompetent, self-centre and egotist and blowhard. He is considered incompetent in state affairs and management. Ghani is a monopolist, exploiter, opportunist, and proponent of Pashtun ethnic domination in Afghanistan. Therefore, behind the scenes he plays with two faces and is hypocrite. He initially supported and strengthened the Taliban which consequently developed to a new challenging force against the government. There is a popular saying about him, “He
tells the thief to steal and the landlord to be vigilant.” He appoints inexperienced people at the head of security and intelligence agencies, and sacks or forces the honest or experienced officers to retire.
Ghani’s untimely visited Biden while reports record several COVID -19 death. Health officials have warned of an acute shortage of hospital beds amid the spread of highly transmissible coronavirus variants. Covid-19 kills people every day because of unavailability of oxygen and medical facilities. So, his tour shows how he is terribly flustered and unable to manage the situation. It really does not matter whether Taliban or Ghani will be in power. People are against both, the Taliban and Ashraf Ghani. Ghani has been strongly associated during his tenure in office with racist ideas in the past and present. He has demonstrated in action and deed how he sidelined the other ethnicities from power and replaced them by his own incompetent men in all defence, security, education, economic and other key sectors. Ashraf Ghani began a visit to the United States at a time when the Taliban is making huge advances across the country.
Negotiation of US envoy with a bunch of terrorists in Doha and bypassing its own installed government is a vivid example of who are determining the destiny of the people of Afghanistan. It is by now clear to all those who do look at the development of situation in that country. The negotiant is to establish an interim government as it was done twenty years ago. Ghani attempts to be at the head of the interim government in which the Taliban should also join that government. But Taliban do not agree to Mr. Ghani to be in the interim government. Ostensibly, after the interim government there should be an election to transfer the power to a new elected government. Political analysts believe that behind the scenes the US and Pakistan are trying to instate somehow the Taliban as a dominant force in the new government.
Experience has shown that without the distribution of power in horizontal way, in a sort of federal government so that opportunity for every citizen be provided to participate and get involved in power, no peace will be ensured. The one group in a centrally dominated regime will never be able to bring peace in the country. Therefore, in view of most people, excluding those who favours to keep their domination in power for ever, without a unity government based on federal system social just and equal opportunity will never be realised. Most analysts argue that federalism could be an initial stage and pillar for ensuring peace in Afghanistan. According to Dr Rezaei, “Based on historical evidence and injustices many justice-seeking elites have found the centralized political system incompatible and opposing with the characteristics, structure, and realities of Afghan society.”
Federalism can be a solution. The solution is possible to be achieved only within the structure of a federal type of administrative system. Without seeking a fundamental solution to diminish the one group domination in power in a central government, which was unjustly exercised for almost two and half centuries, there will not be peace. One of the major causes of ongoing conflict and internal unrest is injustice, domination of power, eradication of national identity, the process of sidelining and isolation of other ethnicities from power. There is sufficient evidence to prove that the one ethnicity dominated central governments stand as a hindrance for participation of all citizens of Afghanistan. That is why the people are not able to unite against malicious policies imposed against their country. The occupiers and their internal and external proponents also try incessantly to keep inflaming the disunity and discord among our people, according to Afghan political observers and historians. Decentralised government and
providing opportunity to select their own governors will be for the benefit of everyone in country irrespective to their political and ethnic affiliations. Also, it is good for the stability of the region and the world.
But unfortunately, there are many mysterious hands who are infuriating the violence for their own strategic and economics gains. Peace is a real prerequisite for development and social justice. Until the conditions are not provided, I think there will not be any social justice, equal opportunity for everyone. Consequently, there will be no peace. As it was not for years. The cause and consequence of war should be broadly studied in view of external and internal factors prior to design a platform for peace in Afghanistan. The whole point is that a corrupt government was installed in the first Bonn conference. After two decades the country is being put back in a chaotic situation, as before the Bonn conference. Simply after so many expenses, people’s sufferings, killings, devastation and bloodshed, the Taliban seems to be installed in power again. The people of Afghanistan have not forgotten their wicked and savage behaviour.
As Benazir Bhutto, for Pakistan prime minister said, “off course, Taliban are supported by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Britain, and America.” It means a group of mercenaries of the above-mentioned nations will be in power. The extremist, fanatic and stupid and nonsensical group who are not aware of human rights, democracy, freedom of speech and women rights etc.
But also, the current Ghani government who came in power by rigging, fraudulent and election fraud, cannot and will not be able ensure social justice and peace. Taliban and Ghani government are the same, the two sides of the same coin.
So, without a broad-based government in which all people’s true representative be ensured, there will be no peace, but the conflict and war will continue. The continuation of war is beneficial for some countries to justify their interference in Afghanistan. That is exactly what they are after. If the Taliban are put in power, they will be used against the newly liberated former USSR countries, and Russia, Iran, China, and India, according to political observers.” Also, the analysts believe, “Pakistan, USA and its allies seek their interest in having Taliban in power to spread unrest in the region and curb the rapid economic progress of China, which is emerging as a threat to USA superpower, replacing former USSR.”
Without an inclusive national government based on social justice and the provision of equal opportunities for all, there can be no peace and tranquillity. The only way to peace is to agree on the creation of a government of national participation and the election of governors and officials in provinces in a federal manner, otherwise the continuation of the war of attrition will aggravate confrontation inside and between neighbouring countries, regional and global powers. Biden said that he would continue US military and humanitarian assistance to the armed forces and the people of Afghanistan. It means that the assistance will be to the government after Ghani’s leadership. That assistance has been going on for so many years one way or another, but the Taliban are getting stronger.
At present, there is a need for serious changes in the military pillars of the government. There should be a sharp shake-up in the defence and security organs of the country, incompetent officials be dismissed and punished, experienced former officers should be assigned in key combatant leadership positions. We must work hard for national unity and solidarity and to support the armed forces and national and popular uprisings. Now more than ever, Afghanistan needs a national discourse and national unity. The national discourse should discuss the creation of an “independent military council”
composed of former, experienced, and patriotic officers to coordinate national operations and the formation of a large patriotic front to run the country.
“Controlling the current crisis requires launching a new political plan, and this new political plan must define the composition of the government with a credible and “temporary” measure of national participation so that it can successfully lead the way for peace and war in Afghanistan with national efficiency and national support. To save Afghanistan from this political and military quagmire.” according to Mr Erfan an Afghan political analyst.
