Bombardments erode faith in peace

It has been ten months since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan signed a Termination of Occupation Agreement with the United States of America in Qatar. This accord ushered in a new chapter for Afghanistan and spawned hopes of finding a resolution to the Afghan predicament.

A key clause in the Doha agreement stipulated the end of bombardments and operations by occupying forces which was matched by the Islamic Emirate with cessation of attacks against foreign invaders to facilitate the withdrawal of their forces in a safe and secure manner.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is stringently committed to the ethical injunctions of Islam and views fidelity to commitments a great religious and moral obligation, has shown adherence to its part of the agreement and no signs of violation — a fact that was also recently attested to by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

However, the other side has repeatedly carried out actions that violate its commitments. Among these the recent airstrikes by American forces in civilian areas of multiple provinces and the air support provided for the offensive operations of Kabul administration serve as examples that breach the agreement.

Such pernicious actions not only threaten the agreement concluded in Doha, but also jeopardize progress witnessed in resolving the Afghan issue, turning nascent hopes to despair.

All intelligent beings acknowledge that use of force by foreign invaders in Afghanistan over the past two decades has proven a failure and a human tragedy. After the two-decade blunder, the national and international consensus has concluded that the Afghan issue must be resolved peacefully on the basis of the Doha agreement. But as America has again taken to airstrikes as a show of force, it seems as if it has failed to learn any lessons from its failed experimentation.

We declare to the other side to end toying with the lives of peoples and their hopes for peace with such unilateral actions. The cost of war is never one-sided, rather the mill of war only grinds on with the flesh and bones of both sides. American officials must desist from recycling prescriptions that have proven futile over two decades, and which have given them nothing in return except failure, loss and degradation.

The Islamic Emirate — in a relatively stronger political and military position than any other time — has unfailingly endeavored to play its role in resolving the issue as a responsible party. This position of the Islamic Emirate should never be read as weakness, rather they are signs of self-confidence, respect for the wishes of the people and righteousness. The other side must also deal with these sensitive and vital issues in a responsible manner.