Please don't manufacture evidence against Pak

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The leak of thousands of US military documents about the war in Afghanistan and allegations therein indicting Pakistan's security institutions speak of a deeper conspiracy into the overall war against terrorism. As far Pakistan's role in the war is concerned, suffice is to quote a Persian proverb which says: "fragrance does not need recommendations of a perfume seller".

The sacrifices rendered by Pakistan are enormous. 27,000 people have been killed during the past six years; over 2700 security forces laid down their lives and more than 9,000 severally wounded. These figures far exceed the total casualties by NATO allies in Afghanistan during the past 09 years.

For the West, terrorism (now violent extremism) began on 9/11. But Pakistan's 9/11 started when the Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan and the bearings of a change in the structure of the real politics became evident. The Soviet invasion posed a threat to the "Free World", so we were told and Pakistan was declared a "bulwark against communism", and a "defender of the Free World".

The resistance offered by the Afghans against the Soviets mesmerised the West so much that it bestowed the title of "Mujahideen" upon the Afghans. The new madrassas were financed in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the Free World to recruit and train more Mujahideen.

The so-called intelligence leaks directed against Pakistan are an allegation that do not rest on credible information. Even newspaper commentaries state that intelligence predicting attacks on certain targets proved to be false. The timings of the leak are instructive. Just a week ago an international conference held in Kabul called for the need of stabilising the situation in Afghanistan through reconciliation and reintegration process and the gradual withdrawal of the coalition forces by 2014.

The Kabul Conference held on July 20 provides an opportunity to stabilise Afghanistan by engaging antagonists to find a political solution and strike a balance in the future dispensation of Afghanistan. The overwhelming majority of the conference favoured this approach. However, a few factions within Afghanistan and some countries in the neighbourhood who are trying to dominate Afghanistan and pressurising Pakistan by using Afghanistan's porous borders to pump in money and weapons in Pakistan's Balochistan province, have not liked the idea of reconciliation. This is also reflective of immediate reactions emanating from these sections within Afghanistan and those countries in the neighbourhood.

For the stability of Afghanistan and for a smooth and gradual withdrawal of international and coalition forces, it is important that not only the political process in Afghanistan should be led by the Afghans but it should also be incumbent upon all the neighbours as well as "near neighbours" of Afghanistan to honour the commitments made in the Kabul Declaration of 20th July. Mere lip service or running with the hare and hunting with the hound would not bring stability to Afghanistan.

For its part, Pakistan has proved through its actions that stability in Afghanistan is an imperative. Pakistan has taken firm action against extremists and terrorists and observes zero tolerance against foreign extremists trying to take refuge in Pakistan. More importantly, the democratic government in Pakistan believes in a stable Afghanistan and by extension a stable region so that all nations in the region may focus their energies in addressing the plight of their poor. Instead of manufacturing evidence against Pakistan, it would be advisable if we work for peace and stability in Afghanistan through peaceful means.

(The writer is the current High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK)