Why can't Afghan politicians use the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other international organizations?
Author: Mohammad Qadeer Mesbah, an expert on regional issues, especially for Sangar.
The latest meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently returned from a trip to Washington and signed strategic agreements with the United States.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is an international and Eurasian organization, was founded under the name "Shanghai Five" in Shanghai, China on June 15, 2001, by five countries - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. In 2001, after the accession of Uzbekistan, the organization received its current name - the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and is a political, economic, and military union. India and Pakistan became full members of this organization on June 9, 2017, at a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan. Iran's membership was also announced at the meeting in New Delhi.
An annual summit of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is held on the topic of a roadmap for multilateral cooperation and priority areas for development, addressing important issues and strengthening economic and political cooperation between members.
In addition to the area of priority work of this organization, Afghanistan is one of the key and permanent issues within the organization. The Taliban's control of Kabul and the optimism of the Pakistanis, Iranians, Russians, and Chinese over the hasty withdrawal of foreign troops from the country on August 15, 2021, have created a sense that the playing field has opened up for negotiations on regional issues. Natural resources, China's Belt and Road Initiative, CASA-1000, TAPI, TUTAP, air and rail corridors, and Azure Corridor are still the copper pies of this game. Regional organizations, especially the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, were interested in their division. But due to the bad luck or luck of the people of Afghanistan, the export of extremism, terrorism, narcotic substances, and border violations are still considered a serious threat. Because of this, the atmosphere of complete trust among the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization toward the new Afghan government was undermined by pessimism.
On the other hand, the opposition forces of the Taliban also suffer from weakness in a not very favorable way, as they have not been able to present their alternative leadership options to either this organization or any other international body, which would lead to the creation of the trust.
Our politicians sometimes get Alzheimer's and forget that playground politics is wide. However, players in this field, despite significant opportunities, a company of women, alumni, artists, athletes, immigrants, security forces, countries that support human rights, and, most importantly, diplomatic elements in the UN, have undergone premature aging. Hence, they cannot keep up with the times, act too slowly, and have turned possibilities into anti-opportunities due to their laxity and laziness.
It seems that perhaps we have misunderstood that politics is not an idea, but a search for possible solutions to overcome political, economic, social, and security crises. Let's take a look at two neighboring countries - India and Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and China and Russia, and think about how these countries have used alternative potential opportunities instead of increasing tension.
While we blame each other and even our neighboring countries and not only for all our misfortunes, we do not realize that the effect of this chills the blood and shows our irresponsibility. Every day we curse Americans, Pakistanis, Iranians, etc., and blame them, but justify ourselves and ask for help again. There is a famous proverb that says: “If you curse your brother for three days, on the fourth day, he will take you by the throat". Now everyone has taken Afghanistan by the throat.
Until our perspective changes and the world emerges from the lenses of absolute enemy and absolute friend, endless misfortunes will keep growing and growing.
