Who is Taliban fighting for? Afghan President Ghani asks a pointing question

Kabul: – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused the Taliban as an agent of Pakistan, raising questions like ‘Who is the Taliban really fighting for? Who is being benefitted by the bloodshed perpetrated by the Taliban? Will the Taliban respect the Duran Line between Afghanistan and Pakistan? Will Taliban sell out the Afghan share of water?’ The Afghan President issued a request that the Taliban will not rule Afghanistan as an agent for Pakistan.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appealed to the Afghan people to stand united against the Taliban while addressing a rally in the Khost province. Taliban claims to have gained control over 85% of Afghan land. But most of the Afghan population does not want Taliban rule. In a few places, citizens have taken up arms against the Taliban. As per reports, even women are willing to sacrifice their lives in the war against the Taliban. At the same time, the Afghan population has realised that the success of the Taliban is attributed to Pakistani support, which is creating tremendous hatred for Pakistan in the Afghan people.

This reflected in the speech delivered by President Ashraf Ghani during a rally in the Khost province. 200 to 600 lives are being claimed by violence in Afghanistan daily. President Ghani blamed the Taliban for this violence. President Ghani delivered a message that the people of Afghanistan should unite for the existence of an independent, democratic Afghanistan. At the same time, President Ghani trapped Taliban posing the question, ‘Will Taliban accept the Durand Line between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which Pakistan is trying to enforce on Afghanistan?’ The Durand Line between Afghanistan and Pakistan is debatably the most controversial international border. Because of the dispute over the Duran Line, Pakistan had refused to recognise Afghanistan as an independent country in 1947.

The dispute over the Duran Line is continuing for the last 74 years and Afghanistan does not recognise the barbed wire fencing and the posts of the Pakistan military on the Durand Line. Afghanistan is accusing that Pakistan is constructing fences and military bases inside the Afghan territory. Reports of conflict between the Afghan and Pakistan military over the Durand Line are received regularly. President Ashraf Ghani levelled serious accusations on Taliban, asking whether the Taliban has reached a compromise regarding the Duran Line with Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Taliban claimed to have gained control over 200 Afghan districts.

In contrast, the Afghan military has forced the Taliban to retreat in certain regions. Fierce encounters between the Afghan military and Taliban are being reported from certain regions. It is exposed that there are Pakistan soldiers among the Taliban terrorists killed in these encounters. The Afghan government had warned Pakistan of dire consequences over this issue.