Why do the Tajiks of Afghanistan urgently need to unite with the Punjabis of Pakistan?
Author: Rustam Rushangar, analyst, especially for "Sangar"
I think that now is the time for the Tajiks of Afghanistan to cooperate with Pakistan. Pakistanis and Punjabis fear partition of their state. The Pashtuns are at the peak of their history. In Afghanistan, no one can stop them and all the power is in their hands. On the other side of the line, the Pashtuns dream of forming an independent Pashtun state, and it seems that countries like India have also become their ally in their struggle.
So serious cooperation between Pakistan and the Tajiks of Afghanistan is the right option to contain the excesses of the Pashtuns. Pakistan is in dire need of this cooperation. The Tajiks are also in dire need of it. Why? Today the land of the Tajiks is usurped, their elites have fled, and the survivors have been imprisoned and killed by the ruling group. If we do not take a step, it will be too late. For example, after the fall of the Ghani government, we will regret for years why we failed to take advantage of this opportunity.
However, the cooperation of Tajiks with Pakistanis and especially Punjabis is influenced by the bitter history of war. Over the past forty years, Pakistanis have sided with the Pashtuns against the Tajiks several times. Although some believe that the Pakistanis who supported the Pashtuns were members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Front, not Punjabis. For example, Faiz Hamid, the head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), who arrived in Kabul at the start of the Taliban's second rise to power, formed the Taliban cabinet and led the war in Panjshir, was a Pashtun, not a Punjabi.
In any case, over the years, mistrust and hostility grew between the Tajiks and Pakistan, partly under the influence of Pashtun circles in Kabul who tried to make us enemies of the Punjabis. We have also developed Pakistanophobia as much as we could, without realizing the fact that we have become a tool in the hands of the Pashtuns. Those who consider Pakistan their second home.
India's role in this has been noticeable. India has also made good use of us-Tajiks in its line of enmity and competition with Pakistan. We have always chanted the slogan of death to Pakistan even more often than the Pashtuns, and partly this was the work of Indian infiltrators among us.
In any case, whatever happened, the gap between us and the Punjabis has widened, but today we have common goals. In such a situation, overcoming the red past requires political courage, which I hope the Tajik politicians will achieve.
Undoubtedly, these statements will be condemned by the Pashtuns and politically ignorant Tajiks who belong to the Pashtuns and are dissolved in Pashtunism. There is no doubt about it. But this criticism should not interfere with the expression of truth and the movement towards ensuring the interests of the Tajik people.
If the Pashtuns do not expect these words from us and want to remind us of our patriotism, then please. In this case, they must withdraw their aggressive and usurping army from Tajik lands and agree on a fair political structure with our guaranteed participation in power. We will not be Pakistan's accomplices. Otherwise, not cooperating with Pakistan is not only not in our interests, but is political frivolity. It will only show that we cannot understand our interests and do not dare to take timely and proportionate actions.
