During my meeting with Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani in Kabul last month I could never have imagined that this would be our last meeting. Just a few months ago he and I met during his visit to Islamabad. He then invited me to Kabul for a detailed discussion. So when I reached Kabul last month, I informed him of my availability and the very next day he invited me to the same house where, just a few days ago, he was targeted by a suicide bomber.
During our meeting last month, I requested him to record an interview for Geo, and he agreed. I asked him to record the interview in Urdu and again he happily consented. All these favours were not simply extended to honour me but were proof of his intentions to rebuild ties and rapport with Pakistan.
Though in Pakistan we largely rank Rabbani among anti-Pakistan elements, the facts are different from perception. At his core, he was not an anti-Pakistani. Whenever Pakistan took one step forward he welcomed the move with two. It is a known fact that from 1994 to 2001 Pakistan openly supported the Taliban against him, and for his own survival he had to seek help from Iran, Tajikistan, Russia and India. After 9/11 and with the collapse of the Taliban government he entered Kabul sitting on US tanks as president of the parallel government.
At that point he was well positioned to seek retribution from Pakistan as most of his colleagues chose to do. However, quite conversely, he was constantly on the lookout for channels to normalise relations with Pakistan. These efforts led him to contact even a mere journalist like me. I refused on the grounds that I am a professional journalist who has nothing to do with brokering between political entities. Additionally, I have no active links in the present government setup. However, on his insistence I informed then governor of the province Lt Gen (r ) Syed Iftekhar Hussain Shah about the communication and of Rabbani’s intentions.
Later Rabbani phoned Shah and expressed his desire to forget the past and re-establish better ties with Pakistan. This positive move met with an icy cold response from the Pakistani policymakers and for many years he remained at a distance from Pakistan. However, Rabbani never stopped trying to establish healthy and positive relations with Pakistan. At Khan Abdul Wali Khan’s funeral he complained that his property in Peshawar had been grabbed. I investigated the matter and found the complaint to be true. Moreover, the person responsible was a very influential member of that government setup.
When Pakistani policymakers contacted Rabbani recently he responded with such warmth that anti-Pakistan elements in Kabul dubbed him an agent of the ISI. Very few people know that his nomination to head the High Peace Commission was not merely Karzai’s initiative but was firmly supported by Pakistan, which shows how much headway had been made in relations between Pakistan and Rabbani.
Those who live in the past and believe in outdated theories would have us believe that the Afghan High Peace Commission in itself was and is insignificant, and that Rabbani’s death has created no major vacuum. But in my opinion, in his death, Afghanistan has lost a learned mind and a statesman of international stature. His death will negatively impact the peace efforts in Afghanistan; it is a serious loss for the Karzai government and an even bigger one for Pakistan. On the other hand, his death is beneficial for the US and all other actors that can’t afford close relations between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and for Pakistan to enjoy a key role in any future setup. Presently the US is also engaged in negotiations with the Taliban and is busy seeking a political solution but there is a marked difference in its approach to negotiations. The US wishes to divide the Taliban and arrive at a formula that has no space for Mullah Omer, on the other hand Hamid Karzai and Rabbani openly invited Mullah Omer and Gulbadin Hikmatyar to participate in the negotiations.
Rabbani’s death has serious repercussions for ethnic harmony in Afghanistan. In the previous presidential elections Rabbani was in the opposition camp. Recently, his nomination to chairman of the High Peace Commission helped build confidence between Pashtun and non-Pashtun ethnic groups. This move reassured other ethnic minorities that negotiations with the Taliban would not be at the expense of their interests.
Rabbani’s death will make it difficult to rebuild this confidence. Since the Taliban are assumed responsible for his death and Pakistan is viewed as a supporter of the Taliban, this will also bring about anti-Pakistan feelings among Afghanistan’s non-Pashtun ethnic groups. In his last days, one thing Rabbani mentioned repeatedly, and which he also mentioned in his interview with Geo, is that those who insist on war in Afghanistan are in fact providing a pretext for the foreign forces to stay on in Afghanistan, and thus are siding with the US.
Whoever is responsible for Rabbani’s murder has seriously damaged the cause of Afghanistan, Islam and the exit of foreign forces and peace efforts in Afghanistan. Leaders are made in decades, and regardless of their ideology and thoughts, are assets of a nation. Rabbani was a great asset for Afghanistan. Those who target statesmen such as him do so to the detriment of the cause of Afghanistan, Islam and Pakistan.
During our meeting last month, I requested him to record an interview for Geo, and he agreed. I asked him to record the interview in Urdu and again he happily consented. All these favours were not simply extended to honour me but were proof of his intentions to rebuild ties and rapport with Pakistan.
Though in Pakistan we largely rank Rabbani among anti-Pakistan elements, the facts are different from perception. At his core, he was not an anti-Pakistani. Whenever Pakistan took one step forward he welcomed the move with two. It is a known fact that from 1994 to 2001 Pakistan openly supported the Taliban against him, and for his own survival he had to seek help from Iran, Tajikistan, Russia and India. After 9/11 and with the collapse of the Taliban government he entered Kabul sitting on US tanks as president of the parallel government.
At that point he was well positioned to seek retribution from Pakistan as most of his colleagues chose to do. However, quite conversely, he was constantly on the lookout for channels to normalise relations with Pakistan. These efforts led him to contact even a mere journalist like me. I refused on the grounds that I am a professional journalist who has nothing to do with brokering between political entities. Additionally, I have no active links in the present government setup. However, on his insistence I informed then governor of the province Lt Gen (r ) Syed Iftekhar Hussain Shah about the communication and of Rabbani’s intentions.
Later Rabbani phoned Shah and expressed his desire to forget the past and re-establish better ties with Pakistan. This positive move met with an icy cold response from the Pakistani policymakers and for many years he remained at a distance from Pakistan. However, Rabbani never stopped trying to establish healthy and positive relations with Pakistan. At Khan Abdul Wali Khan’s funeral he complained that his property in Peshawar had been grabbed. I investigated the matter and found the complaint to be true. Moreover, the person responsible was a very influential member of that government setup.
When Pakistani policymakers contacted Rabbani recently he responded with such warmth that anti-Pakistan elements in Kabul dubbed him an agent of the ISI. Very few people know that his nomination to head the High Peace Commission was not merely Karzai’s initiative but was firmly supported by Pakistan, which shows how much headway had been made in relations between Pakistan and Rabbani.
Those who live in the past and believe in outdated theories would have us believe that the Afghan High Peace Commission in itself was and is insignificant, and that Rabbani’s death has created no major vacuum. But in my opinion, in his death, Afghanistan has lost a learned mind and a statesman of international stature. His death will negatively impact the peace efforts in Afghanistan; it is a serious loss for the Karzai government and an even bigger one for Pakistan. On the other hand, his death is beneficial for the US and all other actors that can’t afford close relations between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and for Pakistan to enjoy a key role in any future setup. Presently the US is also engaged in negotiations with the Taliban and is busy seeking a political solution but there is a marked difference in its approach to negotiations. The US wishes to divide the Taliban and arrive at a formula that has no space for Mullah Omer, on the other hand Hamid Karzai and Rabbani openly invited Mullah Omer and Gulbadin Hikmatyar to participate in the negotiations.
Rabbani’s death has serious repercussions for ethnic harmony in Afghanistan. In the previous presidential elections Rabbani was in the opposition camp. Recently, his nomination to chairman of the High Peace Commission helped build confidence between Pashtun and non-Pashtun ethnic groups. This move reassured other ethnic minorities that negotiations with the Taliban would not be at the expense of their interests.
Rabbani’s death will make it difficult to rebuild this confidence. Since the Taliban are assumed responsible for his death and Pakistan is viewed as a supporter of the Taliban, this will also bring about anti-Pakistan feelings among Afghanistan’s non-Pashtun ethnic groups. In his last days, one thing Rabbani mentioned repeatedly, and which he also mentioned in his interview with Geo, is that those who insist on war in Afghanistan are in fact providing a pretext for the foreign forces to stay on in Afghanistan, and thus are siding with the US.
Whoever is responsible for Rabbani’s murder has seriously damaged the cause of Afghanistan, Islam and the exit of foreign forces and peace efforts in Afghanistan. Leaders are made in decades, and regardless of their ideology and thoughts, are assets of a nation. Rabbani was a great asset for Afghanistan. Those who target statesmen such as him do so to the detriment of the cause of Afghanistan, Islam and Pakistan.
The writer works for Geo TV.