Situation in Afghanistan

Statement by Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Permanent Representative of Pakistan, in the Security Council on the "Situation in Afghanistan"- 19 March 2009

Mr. President, we have had the pleasure of hearing many countries state their intent on Afghanistan. By this time in the evening, it must be said that the Ambassador (of Afghanistan) has done a great job for this immense feeling of goodwill that has come for him and his country. I offer my felicitations.

2. Let me thank you for the opportunity to participate in this discussion on the situation in Afghanistan as this is of vital importance for my country and peace and stability in the region and beyond. We feel the pain and untold suffering endured by our brothers in Afghanistan who have been the victims of history, circumstances and an unrelenting conflict for many years. For three decades, Pakistan itself has suffered with our Afghan brethren. And the fallout of the instability and conflict in Afghanistan has affected us grievously. The refugee influx in Pakistan remains of amazing proportions, and this is only one side of the reality. We have vital stakes in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. As much as our past, the destinies of our two peoples are closely interlinked. It is with this perspective and a deep commitment that we participate in this debate on Afghanistan.
3. The United Nations has a central role in mobilizing and coordinating international action in support of Afghanistan. We appreciate the important work being done under challenging circumstances by UNAMA, led by Special Representative Mr. Kai Eide. The UN has helped Afghanistan at crucial junctures in the past, and its engagement is more than ever needed today. It is a major contribution and will remain crucial for any settlement that will take place in many months to follow in the conferences around the world. Let me thank the Secretary General and SRSG Eide for the latest report, which in my mind, provides an objective overview of the situation in Afghanistan.
4. Mr. President, the challenges confronting Afghanistan are well known. From security to political, humanitarian and development, these challenges are multifaceted, daunting in scope and closely interlinked. They require a truly comprehensive, substantial and integrated response fully owned and led by the Afghans with sustained and long-term attention and support of the international community.
5. The ongoing concern remains the increased violence and insecurity, which continues to be rooted in the complex interplay of Taliban, Al-Qaeda, warlord-ism, factional rivalries, activities of illegally armed and criminal groups, and fueled by the illicit drug trade. Popular grievances arising from various reasons ranging from civilian casualties to socio-economic hardships, and lack of governance and development are further compounding the situation.
6. Terrorism remains a major challenge. It has roots in all parts of the world. Together with Afghanistan, Pakistan faces the brunt of the terrorist and extremist threat. In 2008 alone, nearly 2000 Pakistanis lost their lives in over 600 terrorism related incidents in Pakistan. Pakistan’s economy has suffered directly and indirectly losses in billions. However, this has not diminished our commitment to curb and reverse the menace of terrorism and extremism. To deal with this menace, the Government is pursuing a comprehensive and multi-pronged strategy, passed through a resolution of the Parliament. Structured around democracy, dialogue and development, this approach is being pursued with the support, cooperation and ownership of the populations. Our message is unequivocal - the territory of Pakistan will not be allowed to be used for terrorist activities, while our sovereignty and territorial integrity must also be fully respected.
7. We are also doing our best to control and interdict illegal movement across the difficult border with Afghanistan. We have established around 1000 check posts and deployed more than 120,000 troops on our side of the border. Reciprocal measures on the other side of the border can complement and reinforce this effort. Cooperation under the Tripartite Military Commission has proven useful and we wish to see this mechanism further strengthened. We are concerned over the financing and arming of militants, and recent incursions of militants in our territory. There is an additional security risk posed by the millions of Afghan refugees remaining within Pakistan.
8. Mr. President, I am sure that as the international community reviews the strategy to achieve the common objective of peace in Afghanistan, we would be guided by lessons of history and past mistakes. In this dispassionate stocktaking, we should assess as to why seven years on, despite having made some notable gains in Afghanistan with heavy investment and sacrifices, the situation is not that optimistic. Are the underlying causes of insecurity being effectively addressed? Whether militancy and terrorism have been reigned in or are they spreading? How successful are the military strategies? How adequate and effective is the non-military component? Has international assistance brought about a tangible improvement in the lives of the ordinary people? Are we winning the hearts and minds of the people of Afghanistan? And if there is to be a rule of the thumb for this question, we should then ask why millions remain as refugees in appalling conditions in the neighbouring countries.
9. Afghanistan can best cope with its challenges without intervention or interference. However, this should not mean disengagement and abandonment as many speakers have said as happened in the past. What is required is a fuller understanding of the needs and priorities of the Afghan people and respect for their values, culture and religion. We agree with the Secretary General that the strategy should be to “to prioritize, rationalize and Afghanize”. In our view, the following should be the elements of any constructive engagement:
   • First, we must ensure a comprehensive, coordinated and balanced approach. It is evident that reliance on the military means alone cannot deliver peace.
   • Second, for durable stability people must assume ownership. There should be enhanced focus on indigenous and national capacity building in all fields from governance to security in order to reduce reliance on external support.
   • Third, a massive investment in reconstruction, development and social welfare is required with participation of all segments of the Afghan society. The benefit of development should become the talk of the town rather than insecurity, chaos and deprivation. The drug problem must also be dealt with comprehensively in the context of development through provision of alternative livelihoods.
   • Four, in the battle for hearts and minds, persuasion must override force and coercion. An inclusive process based on dialogue and broad national reconciliation can catalyze the consolidation of gains from the international efforts in Afghanistan. The forthcoming elections offer an excellent opportunity to harness reconciliation and promote inclusion through a democratic process. Pakistan will provide all possible support for the successful conduct of elections.
   • Five, any strategy should accord priority and allocate resources for the repatriation of the millions of refugees from Pakistan. A pull factor needs to be created inside Afghanistan to encourage voluntary return of refugees.
10. Regional cooperation is also a key to sustainable peace and development in Afghanistan. A regional approach has to take into account the interests, the capacity and the aspirations of sovereign states and their peoples. It should build solid stakes in lasting peace. Afghanistan’s integration in regional mechanisms is encouraging. It is a member of the SAARC. It is a member of the ECO whose 10th Summit meeting was held earlier this month in Tehran, which also hosted the first Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan Trilateral Summit. The Second Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey took place earlier in Istanbul in December 2008. Pakistan will host the 3rd Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) in Islamabad in May. Building on the Kabul and Delhi conferences, the Islamabad meeting will focus on five major themes-mining, health, trade and transit, labour movement and human resource development, energy and infrastructure (including the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline project).
11. We also look forward to other forthcoming international engagements on Afghanistan in Moscow (27 March), The Hague (31 March) and Trieste (26 to 27 June 2009).
12. Pakistan attaches high priority to close, friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan. The new democratic government of Pakistan has made a promising beginning with Afghanistan. There have been a number of bilateral interactions at the highest levels. We are making steady progress in building a relationship of deeper trust and understanding. The reinvigorated Jirga process provides a useful means for promoting dialogue and development. During the visit of President Zardari to Afghanistan in January 2009, the two sides signed a historic Joint Declaration on Future Directions of Bilateral Cooperation. The Declaration provides a comprehensive framework to take forward Pakistan-Afghanistan partnership to higher levels in the political, economic, security and social fields. I may mention that despite our constraints, Pakistan is also making a significant contribution to the reconstruction and development effort in Afghanistan. We have pledged 320 million dollars in that regard, of which 170 million have already been spent on various projects in diverse socio-economic sectors, training, capacity building and infrastructure.
13. Mr. President, let me conclude by saying that Pakistan will be the primary beneficiary of peace and stability in Afghanistan, which is also the collective objective of the international community. We hope that this debate will further promote this objective, to which Pakistan remains deeply committed.

Thank you.