Waziristan operation and Afghanistan’s disappointment
Before the coup of 1978 in Afghanistan, all the governments in Kabul were sensitive towards the events happening in the other side of the Durand line and were considering nearly each interruption of Pakistani government in Tribal region’s affairs as interruption in internal affairs of this people who wanted to be independent. At that time, Afghanistan was insisting on the aforementioned area as autonomous, and the Durand line which separates these areas from Afghanistan is not acceptable.
Afghan government considered it its duty to support the independence of Pashtuns and Balochs and some of the tribesmen stayed several years of their exile in Afghanistan.
Even during the war between India and Pakistan in 1971, which resulted in independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan, Afghan government criticized India for their bombardment over these areas. Afghanistan was calling these areas in that time as Pashtunistan.
Change in Afghanistan position
It seems that Pashtunistan’s issue is inverse of its past, now this is the Pakistan who named this region as Kheyber Pakhtonkhwa based on the request from the local residents, and it seems that Afghanistan forgot the Pashtunistan’s pretension for years.
In past few decades, the conditions were changing and became opposite of the past times, Afghan government criticizes Pakistan for interruptions in Tribal Areas affairs which affects the situation in Afghanistan negatively. Even Afghanistan complains from Pakistan over the insecurities rooted “in that side of Durand line”. From Pakistan’s point of view, this position of Afghanistan implicitly shows that Afghanistan accepts the Durand as the international border between two countries.
Afghanistan criticize of Waziristan military operation
By the very same token of Afghanistan’s position, when Pakistani troops began widespread operation in North Waziristan, Afghan government welcomed it. Afghan government neglected the traditional vision of Afghanistan for independence of Pashtuns and Baluchs of this region. Afghan authorities are , even, criticizing Pakistani government for being calmed against the Taliban activities in Baluchistan.
Now after weeks since beginning of military operation in North Waziristan, Afghan government claims that Pakistani troops targeted only those Taliban who are against Pakistani government, especially naming the Haqqani network, but they did not operate against Taliban who fights against Afghan government.
Waziristan operation caused displacing of around one million people from their homes and according to independent resources large number of civilians also killed and wounded in these military operations.
Selective operation
The main cause behind launching the military operation was to target the Taliban who receive orders from Mullah Fazlullah as the leader of Pakistani Taliban, who is said to be hiding in outskirts of Kunar province.
Pakistan does not want the leadership of their opponent to be outside the borders of this country. The main concern of Pakistan is the fear of India’s influence over their opponents, which could happen by mediation of Afghanistan.
When former TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud was killed, disputes over the leadership of Taliban emerged. There were strong commanders in North Waziristan who had the will of achieving this leadership. On the other hand, Pakistani Taliban are divided into several groups, which hinders gaining a consensus over important issues. Therefore, they called upon Afghan Taliban to mediate, and Mullah Mohammad Omar supported Mullah Fazlullah in Swat and he was appointed as the leader of TTP. The other candidate was Khan Sayed Sajna who was not trusted by Taliban leaders because of his will for starting peace talks with Pakistani government. Even Hafez Gul Bahadur who had once signed a ceasefire with Pakistani government also opposed Sajna to take the leadership of TTP. Finally, when the conflict between Sajna and Mullah Fazlullah did not bring a result, Pakistani government launched military operation.
From the start of the military operation
A few days before launching the operation, Pakistani troops announced their plan of operation in North Waziristan. Hafez Gul Bahadur also wanted the people to migrate to other regions in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This issue added to the concerns of Pakistan.
The operation announcement took place when the border with Afghanistan was open and, therefore, both the people and militants could cross the Durand line and go to safe areas in eastern Afghan provinces.
Military analysts believe that Pakistan would sieging the area and before launching operation in North Waziristan. Therefore, Afghan government claims that the operation were selective and symbolic.
But the headquarters of Haqqani network and Manbaul Ulom, which was acting under Jalaludden Haqqani in Miransha since Jihad against USSR are now in control of Pakistani military.
On the other hand, Pakistan was to use the weaponry that they received from US troops who used this weaponry in Afghanistan, Pakistani military claims several successes against insurgents in North Waziristan, while the media and independent sources do not have access to this region in order to reflect the events independently.