In our literature and folklores, there are sayings and quotations that emphasize the importance of being rational and logical in our words and actions. There is a saying that, ‘If you have a work with a donkey, you will have to call it with good name and salutation until your work is not done.’ Similarly, it is said that, if you banged your head with a concrete wall, nothing would happen to the wall rather you would only injure your head.

Almost same is the case between the relations of Afghanistan with its neighboring countries of Pakistan and Iran and more importantly with Pakistan because the interaction and visit of Afghanis to Pakistan is more frequent comparing to Iran because Iran is very strict in terms of visa and passport and you cannot consider to go there without them and acquiring a visa is also very difficult but in case of Pakistan, one can easily avail a free visa or in most cases, you can cross the border by giving bribe of thousand rupees at the border or on the way. As Pashtoons of Kandahar and Baluchistan resemble each other a lot while Pashtoons of Nangarhar also resemble a lot with that of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa of Pakistan so they don’t face much problem inside Pakistan once they cross the border.

A lot of Afghans, who have spent considerable time in Pakistan as a refugee and now live in Kabul, feel a lot of resemblance between the life in Kabul and that of Pakistan. Here, majority of the new houses are made by Pakistani builders and are of the same style. Almost all our edibles like cream, ice-cream, jam, fruits, flour and other things come from Pakistan. Similarly, majority of the household objects like furniture, fans, electric appliances and many more are imported from Pakistan. In short, there are innumerable things that affirm the fact that both the countries are dependent on each other; one to sell its things and other to meet its needs for these things.

Then there are some other strange facts in this regard that might not be in the knowledge of a common Afghan. Most of the calls made out of Afghanistan are directed to Pakistan and our telecommunication companies are making huge revenues in this regard.

Another favor of Pakistan can never be forgotten. Pakistan was the host for more than three million Afghan refugees for more than two decades and still hosts 1.5 million refugees in its different cities. A study has revealed that Afghans have termed Pakistan the most suitable country in terms of standards of life comparing to the other countries like Iran and some Central Asian countries. Pakistan was the only country where refugees had almost the same rights as that of a Pakistani citizen where they could own and run a business, buy property, educate their children in any school they wished, open bank accounts, own and drive vehicles and many more and there are thousands of cases when Afghan refugees succeeded in obtaining all the legal documents of the country in return of some 20-30 thousand rupees given as a bribe.

It is also a fact that remaining Afghans are reluctant to return to their homeland just because of the reason that opportunities of a good life are more bright in Pakistan comparing to their own country where limited economic activities and wind-up of foreign NGO projects have shrunk the number of jobs available. Similarly, they are very much accustomed to the different civic facilities in Pakistan and not ready to leave them easily.

That is also a fact that such opportunities were not available to the Afghan refugees of Iran and other countries because no country can give equal opportunities to refugees as it might harm the benefits of its own citizens.

Similarly, thousands of Afghans visit Pakistan every day for a number of purposes. Due to the unavailability of experienced doctors, Pakistan is the most preferred choice of Afghans for medical purposes where they can reach to good doctors in just few hours and where expenses are very less compared to the big hospitals of Kabul. Similarly, thousands of Afghans from both the sides cross the Pak-Afghan border to meet their relatives on different occasions of happiness and condolences. It also includes of thousand more traders and shopkeepers who visit Pakistan to buy or order things for their shops and stores.

A news report told that thousands of trucks enter Afghanistan from Pakistan, loaded with edibles and trade goods and play a very vital role in the economy of Afghanistan. This is in addition to all those trucks and containers that carry the goods for NATO and American forces.

Man has been termed to be a social animal. Moreover, when man lived alone in jungle, it had numerous problems but when it started living in cooperation with each other, every member of the community got prospered and life became more easy and convenient. This universal law applies both for the individuals and nations. In the present global scenario, no nation can survive on its own and nations give importance to relations with countries with which their economic benefits are attached. China and America were once considered the enemies of each other but today, they are promoting their relations in order to safeguard their financial gains and objectives.

There is a common belief that Pakistan has played a very negative role in the Afghan war and always harmed the benefits of Afghanistan. It is also said that according to the Durand Accord, Pakistan had to return thousands of kilometers of Afghanistan which it has refused and thus has an illegal occupation of the said territories. I am not a historian or a political expert and leaving the above mentioned issues to the historians and political experts, it is not logical to keep bad relations with Pakistan.

Need of being logical and rational in this case is more emphasized by the realities that Afghanistan is in the initial stages of political and economic stability and in such a condition it can never afford the politics of conflict and enmity. In case of Pakistan, keeping in view the above ground realities, we need to reconsider our strategy and adopt a strategy that should be based on cooperation and mutual growth and stability.

My views might have harmed many who often get emotional when they talk of Pakistan. It is my humble request in their service that if they can make alternate arrangements cutting all the relations with Pakistan, they should not hesitate to do anything against this country but if they cannot, being sentimental without considering ground realities cannot harm anyone but us.

In the end, it is worth mentioning here the wise words of President Karzai who once said that, ‘Every nation would work to achieve its own objectives and no nation would show mercy to others when they will have to achieve their own objectives. It is very stupid to expect that our neighbors or even the Allied nations of NATO or United States would prefer Afghanistan to their own objectives. In the same way, when we will get power and get strong enough, we will also not spare anyone when there will be the choice of our objectives and rest of the countries of the world. This is a reality, however bitter it is and we need to accept it whole-heartedly’.