By Afshain Afzal

Fighting or no fighting, the Taliban are directly or indirectly control of around 300 districts in Afghanistan. Taliban refused to breach the peace deal with international players and declined to enter the Afghan cities but many Afghan leaders expressed their allegiance without a single shot been fired. This led to control so many districts in a short span. In such a scenario, US has started destroying its own military hardware and high technology equipment that was handed over to Afghan authorities. 

Meanwhile, with arms and funded-fighters all around Afghanistan, Tehran is not openly acting due to tensions with the United States but Abdullah Abdullah, the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation confirmed that Iran has right to intervene as it has “legitimate concerns and “legitimate interests in Afghanistan” as a neighbor that hosts millions of Afghan refugees. 

Last year when US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad disclosed that Washington and Iran’s relations were getting better as Iran cooperating with Afghanistan’s peace process, many western analysts had doubt but recent attack on Taliban positions confirmed existence of military understandings between the US and Iran. Is American administration hatred towards Iranians is fake media propaganda has become a million dollar question.

In an unprecedented move Pentagon has started destroying the military hardware and hi technology equipment, it handed over to Afghan National Army (ANA) over the period of time. In fact, the US is violating the agreement with Government of Afghanistan under which the military hardware and equipment was to be handed over the Afghan National Army; recalling that Bilateral Strategic Agreement (BSA) began from 2013. 

Pakistan's National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yusuf on Thursday, 22 July said in a tweet, “Vitriolic & delusional statements from some spoilers in Kabul who, unfortunately for our Afghan brothers and sisters, are imposed on them as their senior officials & are constantly attempting to vitiate bilateral relations on purpose to deflect attention from their own failures,” and “Pakistan remains committed to facilitating an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan. In this spirit, Prime Minister Imran Khan agreed to meet President Ghani recently to continue our engagement,” He also said, “Afghanistan is being embarrassed daily due to these idiotic statements. Afghans should rest assured that everyone can see through the nefarious agenda of these spoilers. We will not let a handful of venomous minds affect Pakistan’s support to ALL Afghans for peace and stability.”

What Washington termed as, “Multiple airstrikes on the Taliban in support of Afghan forces. The strikes targeted enemy personnel (Taliban), as well as captured military equipment”. With the recent airstrikes, the 29 February 2020, peace deal between USA and Taliban has gone into shambles which focused on point that Taliban will prevent anyone from using Afghan soil to threaten the United States and their allies and enter into peace negotiations with other Afghan stakeholders and in return, the US promised to withdraw its military forces from Afghanistan.

As per the reports emitting from Washington, “Pentagon and agencies kept a track of all the prisoners released under post 29th February 2020 agreement with Qatar-based faction of Taliban group and their identifies as well as the whole groups they engaged is tagged. We have our drone technology to defeat them from either coming into power by military might or democratic process.” One wonders does it really means democracy in Afghanistan will have defination, “Afghan population minus Taliban with whom US, European Union the United Nations and others had peace deals” and Islamabad’s stance, “Pakistan’s support to ALL Afghans for peace and stability” means what? This is high time that all stakeholders in Afghanistan must end fighting against own people and assemble under the umbrella of democratic process to form a responsible government on the basis of popular vote.