Open Letter to Honourable General Kiani

Subject: Actions speak louder than words

Honourable Sir,

The recent statement about the ownership of the war against terror by you is extremely encouraging. As an ordinary Pakistani I understand the crisis Pakistan is passing through. So we expect from you concrete measures against the militants and changing security paradigm of the country by making it more pro-people and help our people to benefit from increased bilateral ties and friendship with Afghanistan.

The system (capitalism as I don’t have any other substitute for it so please don’t consider me typical communist) operates through political influence. Now there are two possible strategies of political influence. One way is using hard-war tactics or direct military intervention, stationing your army and thus loot and plunder whatever is available or having strategic goals of containing your enemies who could use the soil against you. In Afghanistan case the US primarily came here under compulsion to safeguard strategic interests which include restricting the growing influence of China, Russia and even India and to expand this military influence as far as the Arabian Sea. The resources in Afghanistan, the oil and gas reservoirs in Central Asia and other benefits such as economic gains through regional cooperation and from countries like India are the byproduct of this military intervention.

The second way of creating influence is through soft-war tactics which include ideological influence through religion such as from the Sauids, Cultural invasion through exploiting the demand of local culture market such as India and through philanthropic activities like the Europeans are doings. Now these strategies secure ground for those who are interested to make more benefits from the local resources through investment.

Peace is ultimately the desired environment for investment and to exploit resources. However, conflicts continues due to the involvement of two or more than two contestants who are always suspicious of one another and who are paranoid as the system (capitalism itself) is myopic without any purpose where you are after money and money and money.

Pakistan's strategic interests in Afghanistan are founded on ill grounds as the strategy is continuation of the old strategic doctrine of "Strategic Depth". Couple with this the Saudis/Wahabi ideological influence has made it more redundant as neither strategic depth has any utility for Pakistan anymore nor Wahabi influence is of any practical utility but is rather becoming a liability. So I very humbly request you to change this policy for the best interest of Pakistan. Pakistan has better prospects of friendship with Afghanistan than any other country of world.

Yours Sincerely,

An ordinary Pakistani.