Thursday, August 4, 2011

Need for Comprehensive Reconstruction, Rehabilitation Plan for Afghanistan

The way the global war on terror was launched after the 9/11 incident it caused the loss of a large number of human lives. Rather instances of the worst human rights violations and war crimes also emerged in the meanwhile and that too at the hand of the countries that consider themselves to be the champions of the human rights and human friendliness. The denial of the fact that the poverty increased there after the US invasion of Afghanistan is not possible. In addition, the hatred and provocation against the US and West has also increased, which is the basic cause of terrorism.
The major powers immensely used their power in the war on terror because of which it (terrorism) expanded instead of being contained. Numerous reports of the human rights organizations have appeared wherein this fact was revealed that majority of the people arrested in connection with terrorism proved to be innocent. Similarly, the innocent people have also been losing lives after being caught in the operations of the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops and actions of terrorists and are still losing their lives and their number is increasing every year.
Civilian Deaths
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released its biannual report in July 2011 in which the data of the civilian deaths in the first half of the current year during the global war against terrorism in Afghanistan have been published. According to the mentioned report, the number of deaths during this period witnessed 15 percent increase as compared to the same period of the previous year. In the first six months of 2011, 1,462 innocent Afghan civilians have lost their lives while death of 1,271 people during the same period was recorded last year and total 2,777 deaths were reported in the entire year.
It would be pertinent to mention here that the collection of data with regard to the deaths of allied and US troops is comparatively easy but there is no authentic and reliable procedure in place to collect the data of the deaths of common Afghan citizens, therefore, the real number of civilian deaths would certainly be much more than that mentioned in these compiled reports, which is a matter of concern.
Growing Destruction, Poverty and Ignorance
The present situation of the war in Afghanistan has created the worst situation of death and destruction in this impoverished and backward country where the number of the innocent citizens who die, sustain injuries and are maimed is constantly increasing every year. In this type of reports, the responsibility for killing of a large number of Afghan civilians is put on the antigovernment and insurgent groups and the Taliban.
This tradition has been repeated in the mentioned report as well. But it is a fact that whether the innocent Afghan civilians become fall prey to the actions of the US or NATO forces or lose their lives at the hand of pro-government Afghan forces or Taliban and anti-government terrorists, the common citizens are at the losing end, as they are being crushed from both sides and this war has made the growing destruction, poverty and ignorance their fate, which in itself is one of the major cause of the real causes of spreading terrorism.
Impact on Pakistan
Pakistan has also been affected by negative effects of the war and the entire Pakistan is in the grip of the coward acts of terrorism for the last 10 years to control which the Pakistan Army had to launch military action in its territories. Compelled by the connivance of the terrorists with the anti-Pakistan forces, the Pakistani armed forces had to resolve to crush these forces that had risen against Pakistan in these difficult circumstances and were becoming a threat to Pakistan's security and peace.
The successes of the Pakistan Army in Swat and Malakand Division are laudable where they (troops) played an important role in restoration of peace in these areas by laying down their precious lives.
Withdrawal of US Troops
The United States and allied troops made Afghanistan the stage of this global war, which was aimed at elimination of terrorism in the world, in 2001 where the invading forces used their immense military power and superiority of science and technology against the weakest nation of the world and thousands of innocent people were put on the altar of war during their military actions.
The US has recently announced withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan in the first phase of which the process of the departure of 10,000 troops has started. It is pleasant that the invading forces have given the schedule of their departure but they also need to pay attention to the matter that a comprehensive program is chalked out for rehabilitation of the destroyed lives of people there after their withdrawal so that the miseries of these war-stricken Afghans can be compensated to some extent.
Establishment of Peace
Anyhow, this war spanned over a decade has confirmed that the United States direly needs to change its strategy in the war against terrorism. The use of power also harms the lives of the innocent people, making the achievement of the real objectives impossible. Therefore, the process of dialogue with the warring groups has become the need of the hour and now the situation is heading toward the same direction because in this way we can contain the unjustified loss of lives and property of the innocent people and can achieve the objective of the establishment of peace that can eliminate the causes of terrorism.
In addition, the difficult phase of the rehabilitation of the Afghan people and reconstruction is also ahead without the completion of which, the dream of the establishment of a durable peace in Afghanistan cannot be realized.

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