The late Marshal Fahim delivered a speech at the opening session of National Governors Conference in 2013. It was his last major speech to the nation. In that speech, Marshal Fahim provides his account of the major events of Afghanistan’s contemporary post 1978 events. He also lays out his vision for a modern, pluralistic, and peaceful Afghanistan. He emphasizes the need to acknowledge Afghanistan’s shortcomings domestically and regionally as the nation strives to make a transition from nearly 40 years of conflict. He views the need for a negotiated settlement of the conflict with the Taliban as critical. He also emphasizes the need for negotiations with Pakistan for resolving major issues between the two countries.
The Speech
National Governors’ Conference
Marshal Fahim Speech
11th, June 2013
“Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. The best outcome belongs to the righteous. Prayers and blessings upon our master, Muhammad (PBUH) and his family and companions.”
Honorable participants,
Dear brothers Arsala, Dr. Ashraf Ghani,
Head of Constitutional Oversight Commission,
Members of the cabinet,
Members of parliament,
Members of diplomatic corps,
Peace be upon you!
First, a special thanks to the Director of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) for convening today’s august gathering at a historic time.
Honorable brothers and sisters,
Humans are social beings. The wisdom of God’s creation of human beings is that human beings coexist and look after each other. Other creatures lived on earth in the past, but God created human beings possessing material and spiritual characters. Material – because humans are made from the four elements. Spiritual – because humans possess God’s Spirit. God says in the Holy Quran, “and when I have formed him fully and breathed into him of My spirit.” (15:29)
Consequently, human beings possess both material and spiritual proclivities. A human being who chooses spirituality can attain a high place like Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) achieved in the Night of Ascension (Isra & Miraj). The Prophet reached the point of Sidrat ul Muntaha, where God’s close angel Gabriel asked Prophet Muhammad to continue the journey alone. That was a point God’s angel Gabriel couldn’t pass, but a human being with spirituality was able to reach. The materialistic character of humans is such that God says in the Holy Quran, “These are, as the cattle nay, but they are worse! These are the neglectful” (7:179)
Dear brothers,
That is where the quintessence of human creation lies to which God in the Holy Quran says “and guided him on the two paths (of good and evil)?” (90:10), and there are many other related verses in the (Quran) as in “We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).” (76:3)
In this regard, God commands that humans are free to choose any of the two ways: spiritual or material. As a result of these two characters, human decisions [frequently] face conflict with the two choices. Human history is filled with conflicts between those choosing one or other of the two ways. Like in the lives of prophets who stood up against the oppressors and tyrants of their times, and also in the history of Islam, there are figures who stood up against tyrants.
In Afghanistan, even before the Communist coup, the regime in power was not acceptable to the people of Afghanistan. Even before the Communist Coup, youth, university students, and the intelligentsia protested against the regime.
The Islamic Movement was the pioneer of these struggles, which was well-received [by the public] and was effective [in its efforts]. After the Communist Coup, inexperience and extremism of the communist regime in Afghanistan led our people to death, insult and denigration, our youth had to face imprisonment and death gallows. Our intellectuals and prominent figures had to leave the country or faced death at the regime’s hands.
The Communists followed a specific ideology. You might remember Hafizullah Amin, who used to say that only a few million people of his choosing deserved to remain alive, and others had to be killed. Reaction [of the public] to such mentality on the one hand and Islamic beliefs, sentiments, and spiritual values on the other, gave rise to armed struggle and Jihad against the Communist regime.
Jihad [period] was a turning point in the history of Afghanistan and the history of those nations that were under communist rule and were liberated after the fall of the Soviets. History will never forget the importance of that period. It was Jihad that imbued in people of Afghanistan a sense of courage, bravery, and sense of struggle against atheism, oppression, and tyranny. The people of Afghanistan decided to bring about an acceptable form of government in their country.
As I said at the beginning of my remarks, humans are social beings, and societies require a contract between humans to function, which raises the need for the rule of law. It’s the rule of law that creates organization in humans’ lives, differentiates the oppressed’s rights from the oppressor, creates conditions for human development and advancement, and makes way for justice [to flourish] in human societies.
Mujahidin of Afghanistan, and I mean all of Mujahidin – some differentiate between bad and good Mujahidin – anyone who stood up against the tyranny of the Soviet invasion is an honorable citizen of this country. They have achieved a significant place and value in the history of this nation.
It was as a result of Jihad that the Soviets lost in Afghanistan. The Soviets didn’t leave Afghanistan out of their desire. Most of you (governors) had the honor of participating in Jihad. You were active in the national struggle and Jihad. You know the difficulties of Jihad. You know what the Mujahidin had to go through in their struggle for freedom of this country.
In the end, God granted the Mujahidin victory. God presented them with everything they deserved. Unfortunately, Mujahidin lacked experience and the necessary knowledge in governing. Also, our neighbors’ intervention, countries with sinister goals for our country, and countries that do not want to see Afghanistan have a strong central government and instead wish to see a crippled Afghanistan dependent on them – those countries actively worked to topple the Mujahidin government.
Afghanistan’s great and mighty army was one of a kind in the region in military and logistical capabilities. That powerful and trained army was a source of constant fear for some of Afghanistan’s neighbors. Those countries that feared the Afghan army’s might, ruthlessly tried to sow dissent in the country.
Consequently, the country faced disputes, fiefdoms arose, and regional governments emerged [across Afghanistan]. As a result, the central government became vulnerable, and Afghanistan’s army was destroyed. Whereas today, we need a pair of fighter jets, when the Mujahidin took over, more than 500 planes existed, most of which were military planes. Unfortunately, today we need a pair, and the international community [is not interested in] supplying.
They are concerned that Afghan people are warriors who value their honor. In their view, Afghans possess extremist religious beliefs. If provided with powerful weaponry, when there is (collateral) damage done in the war, especially by the Coalition Forces, some Afghan soldiers may not tolerate that and attack foreign forces. They are worried that if Afghans get such powerful capabilities, there is a chance that Afghan pilots drop bombs over Bagram or other bases. Despite that, Afghans expect their allies to provide them with planes and heavy artillery. However, as long as we do not stand on our own feet and become an independent country; we cannot acquire such capabilities.
After the Mujahidin government was destroyed, the Taliban took over. Major countries that had interests in the region supported them. As you know, the Taliban emerged from Pakistan and took over the country. They served as a cover for fighters from other countries, such as Al Qaeda members and many Pakistanis. They came to Afghanistan and established control in the country.
Afghanistan’s people will never forget the oppression, cruelty, persecution, and misery brought by the Taliban and their dark history. It is said that there was a time in Europe children would stop crying if they were told Hitler’s soldiers were coming after them. In Afghanistan, the Taliban’s fear runs so deep in people’s minds if you say to a child the Taliban are coming, the child might get a stroke.
Taliban committed crimes and did terrible things. Despite all their efforts, even the Taliban could not bring an acceptable government to the people of Afghanistan. The Communists couldn’t form an acceptable government for the people of Afghanistan, and the Mujahidin could not do so, too.
For that very reason, during the national resistance (against the Taliban), the leader of the national resistance, Amer Saheb (late Commander Massoud), and we concluded – since Afghanistan is made up of different ethnic groups and varying geography, no group or political party could unilaterally establish a government. As a result, since that time (resistance), we made our belief public. I talked a lot about our belief that a future model of government in the country should be inclusive of all the people of Afghanistan.
In light of the Taliban’s power and control over the country, many couldn’t perceive the possibility of such a model. However, we believed that the Taliban regime would fall because their regime was based on oppression, despotism, and cruelty. Prophet (PBUH) said, “a government can last with disbelieve (without Islamic rule), but not with oppression.” The Taliban were cruel because they oppressed the people of Afghanistan, and their regime was bound to fall. However, the way it collapsed was unthinkable. Al Qaeda had a firm grip on the country. Osama (Bin Laden) operated from here against the world. Western countries experienced constant horror. There were explosions, bombs, and suicide attacks [everywhere].
There was a dramatic turn of events in Afghanistan when Al Qaeda attacked the [Twin] Towers and the Pentagon in the US. Before those attacks, when we would say our resistance is against oppression, cruelty, extremism, and terrorism, no one would listen to us. When those towers collapsed, the world opened its eyes to Afghanistan. Even though an international coalition was formed, national resistance forces were in the lead (in the campaign against the Taliban regime). Resistance forces fought and defeated the Taliban by force.
That’s a known fact. We have Mr. (Juma Khan) Hamdard and Mr. Ustad Atta (Noor) with us here – they would tell you the Taliban did not leave Dara Soof and Mazar without an arduous tough fight. These gentlemen, had to personally join the fight. I witnessed the battle against the Taliban in Bareek Aab (north of Kabul). A group of Pakistani [fighters] were stationed there, and more than 20 BM-12 rocket launchers supported them. They fought till all 170 of them were killed.
There is no doubt the international coalition and [subsequent] world pressure impacted the Taliban’s morale, but it was the resistance forces that defeated them. Afghan history will neither be written by you nor by me. There will be those who will one day write the truth regarding the [importance] of the role (the resistance forces) played in the defeat of the Taliban and the establishment of the new order in the country.
[After the Taliban were defeated], the Islamic State of Afghanistan, led by the late Ustad Rabbani – despite its problems – was in [control of the country]. Nevertheless, we wanted to put an end to unilaterally governing the country. We called on the people of Afghanistan to get together and work for a new order in the country. We announced our readiness to transfer power (to a new government). We made that decision despite being told by the US Envoy James Dobbins – who visited Bagram on the second day after Kabul’s fall – to keep the status quo for six months. We rejected [his proposal]. We told him (Dobbins) many wars and conspiracies have taken place in this country, our people have suffered, if we keep the status quo, the war will continue.
For that reason, we called on the US and the UN to take the necessary steps for bringing peace to the country, and we reiterated our readiness to transfer power (to a new government). You [may] all remember that the late Ustad Rabbani – who possessed [a unique] foresight for the country – exhibited sincerity and greatness when the interim administration was formed. Dr. Ashraf Ghani is fully aware [of the events of that time]. When the new government was formed, and President Karzai was chosen as the head of the government, the late Ustad (Rabbani) transferred power [and] President Karzai became the new head of the government.
You may not believe it; at that time, a single blanket did not exist in the presidential palace. Mr. (Yousef) Atebaar [former head of the Administrative Office of the President] had to personally get a blanket and comforter for President Karzai’s uncle. Everything had been destroyed. Whatever resources left were in the hands of the resistance forces. In light of that, resistance forces had to lead in building a new order in the country, not those who had returned from abroad and did not have anything at their disposal.
With an open heart, foresight, and long-term view for the country, we put all of our military, political, and financial resources and moral support at the new government’s disposal. As a result of our joint efforts, a truly national government and order was established. There are reasons why we had to face a new wave of fighting after almost 3-4 years. Still, we are very proud that for nearly three years, up until the time when some government supporters had not resorted to opposing and sidelining the Mujahidin, there was a complete sense of peace in the country. However, lacking foresight, the Mujahidin were removed from the government. Like myself, thousands of other Mujahidin officials were removed from the government.
The former National Army of Afghanistan was not really ‘literally’ national but was composed of former professional army officers, Mujahidin, and volunteers. We insisted that a hundred thousand forces from the previous army should be kept for maintaining security until a new national army was fully formed. Our view was never accepted, especially US ambassador and top military officials were adamantly against it. Later on, they had to create thousands of militias to support their own security. That was a mistake.
Dear brothers,
Honorable governors,
I presented this brief history of events (of the country) because God commands the Prophet in the Holy Quran “yet go on reminding [all who would listen]: for, verily, such a reminder will profit the believers.” (51:55) Based on that, it is important that we must never lose sight of the recent history of Afghanistan because our people take pride in and honor our past.
As a result of our efforts, a new order was established in Afghanistan. The government was able to appoint its civilian and military officials in all districts. Shortly after, new fights broke out, especially in the south, everything was destroyed [again], and the country entered a new phase [of instability].
Today, like you – as the current governors – governors from those early days risked their lives when they took up their jobs. Many of them lost their lives, [e.g.] governor of Paktia, the late Taniwal died in an explosion, Engineer Omar (Kunduz governor) and General Abdullah Khan governor of Logar were both killed. Despite those losses, the public did not lose hope.
As current governors, you are respected by your superiors for your determination, bravery, and courage. [You carry out your duties] at a time when due to terrorism and oppression brought by our neighboring countries, no one feels safe to leave their houses.
Yesterday, after the pre-dawn prayers, a thought occurred to me: our neighbor Pakistan aims to have control, as far as the British (Empire) had because they believe they are the successor to the British [in the region]. They don’t believe in the Durand Line like us. I asked Dr. Rahin (Ex-Minister) brother: how far [deep in the country] had the British gone? Dr. Rahin said: up to Charikar (north of Kabul). I told him, we would fight them (Pakistan) there too [if needed again]. We will defend our nation no matter what – because it is an obligation, and we have no choice but to protect our country.
We need to have a system of our own. Other countries believe they have a right to have their unique systems, a right to advancement and progress, and better living standards. We, too, as human beings living in our societies, have rights. Our nation is composed of different ethnic groups. [We] have different preferences, beliefs, whether we are literate or illiterate, no matter who we are and what we believe in, we must have a system in our lives and order, an institution that should define our present and future.
We can establish such an order through coexistence and tolerance. I tell everyone, brothers, let’s learn to coexist, let’s learn to live together, know that other people in the world who fought against each other for many years, today’s advanced Europe is a well-known example, have learned to live together.
In World War I and World War II, they dropped thousands of bombs on each other daily. Still, today they have come to the point of shared understanding and coexistence. While remaining independent nations, they have a common market, visa, currency, and a joint European Union. They look after each other.
When Greece faced a financial crisis, and when Spain faced a crisis, other European nations supported them and did not let [their economies] collapse. They have learned to live together. They have order in their lives, visit parks, keep schedules of when to relax, and work.
While [the Europeans] have all the necessary amenities in their lives, our only wish is to live together and not fight anymore. [We need to] tolerate each other. Whether we were Communists, Mujahids, Taliban, or were impartial. Whether we lived outside the country in Europe or America, we have come together. We must get together to build our nation and state. Even (those members of) the Taliban who may [enjoy the luxury of] a house in Karachi with electricity, water, and gas, continuously suffer from the pain that they are not in their own country. Even those (Afghans) who live in America, or live in a heavenly place like Europe, when someone visits them from Afghanistan, they say they wish to kiss the visitor’s feet (to express their longing for returning to Afghanistan).
It is our [inalienable] right to have a country, and this country belongs to us. We all care about our country. When you talk to the Taliban, [you see that] they care about Afghanistan. Everyone says they care about the country.
However, the [right] way to care about our country, to own our country, to end the hardship, to end future interventions in our land, and to be able to have a basic standard of living, and not to have to inhale dust in our capital, also to provide a basic standard of living for our people, to live in peace and safety, to provide jobs for our people and end unemployment; regardless of who we are, without any exceptions, to have an acceptable system in our country, and to be able to live together; we must tolerate each other, forgive each other’s sins, and see everyone through eyes of love. Looking through the eyes of love is different from the eyes of envy and hatred.
I [once] had a [heated] conversation with one of the leaders of Afghanistan. We talked about Amer Saheb (Commander Massoud). I defended Amer Saheb while that leader criticized him and accused him of many [wrong doings]. He finally [relented] by telling me: dear Fahim, it’s not your fault (to defend Massoud) because you are in love, and love is blind. I told him: honorable leader, dear brother; if love is blind, so is envy and hate; it cannot see the good in others. He stood up, hugged me, and said: hadn’t thought about it that way.
Brothers, let’s put envy aside and look at each other through the eyes of love. Accept each other with open arms and build our country. As a nation, we experienced tough and unbearable times. We faced enormous difficulties during Jihad days. Especially during the five years of Afghanistan’s national resistance (against the Taliban), I experienced the most challenging days of my life. I faced unbearable problems—everyone who was in [Afghanistan] faced problems and knows how difficult it was then.
Brothers, accepting each other, having tolerance, and building our nation is not more difficult than the difficulty of those days. Let’s renounce foreign instigation and incitement, and let’s abandon our group and party interests and work together for building Afghanistan.
If we could build Afghanistan, and if Afghanistan survived, all of us will survive. Afghanistan is similar to a big house and a place where everyone can have a home of their own. It has that capacity, but it must be remembered: if anyone tries to hold Afghanistan around their party and beliefs, that would mean to have this vast nation placed on the roof of one’s house. If Afghanistan’s put there, that house would collapse.
There are many people, many of whom are my friends, all of them have their personal and independent agendas for Afghanistan. Their situation is similar to a (folktale) when a lizard spends the whole night in the dark believing that it is powerful enough it could swallow everything, but in daylight, it runs away and hides [from everything], out of fear for its life.
Similarly, at first, everyone comes up with a personal plan for Afghanistan. Later, they realize that Afghanistan is way bigger than their agendas. They recognize the country is composed of different groups of people, backgrounds, and beliefs. Only then do they realize the need for building coalitions and consensus.
Brothers, I stated clearly in the last anniversary of Amer Saheb’s (Commander Massoud) martyrdom that only a national consensus can serve as a crane that would lift Afghanistan from the current quagmire.
Nowadays, everyone talks about national consensus, but I was the first one to raise it. What I mean by that is that all of us should get together, accept each other. Whether we are Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, or Hazaras, we are like flowers from the same garden. You can see the flowers [in this room] come in different colors red, white, orange, but they are all from the same garden.
Similarly, we are like flowers from one Afghanistan. We can come together and live with each other. Together we can create shared systems and institutions, and enforce the rule of law in our lives, based on which every individual’s rights should be defined. Then we move towards prosperity, honor, and nation-building and know that we, too, have a right to live like others in the world.
The day Bangladesh became independent and got separated from Pakistan, it was known as East Pakistan then. Dr. (Ghani), Mr. Arsala, and [many of] our politicians know very well that the people of Bangladesh faced destitution. They faced tough times, but today they can provide help to us. We, too, need to stand on our own feet.
Honorable governors,
As important [political] figures in the country, you have to understand your place’s weight, which is second only to the president in provinces. Well, I know your challenges with provincial organizational structure, lack of authorities, and independence of some government departments such as the police. We all know about those challenges. I raised these issues several times in the National Security Council meetings and in the cabinet.
I argued that we need to transfer some powers to the provinces and give more authority to the governors. A governor should be the highest official in a province and should have the authority to guide and command. All other departments should report to governors. We need to end the governors’ problem of resorting to personal connections in departments to get work done.
We recognize these problems and know that you are concerned about it. God Willing, we will work together to try to resolve these challenges. That is not impossible. You are important figures in the country and have experienced challenges in the past. The government and the president appreciate your services. Anyone, including the president, who may be critical of your work, is not due to personal wishes. No one cares about personal wishes; our only wish is Afghanistan. After 35 years of suffering and hardship, we should be able to build Afghanistan. We should be able to establish an order.
Given the current circumstances facing us, we need a united and robust transition. For that to happen, there are several critical matters to consider. First, peace in Afghanistan; peace is an essential element of our life. As I said earlier, peace means coexistence; peace means confidence-building; peace means consensus-building; peace means accepting each other and respecting each other’s views.
[A future peace must be] unlike the old short-lived peace agreements between (Jihadi) parties. Peace is an essential element of our life. A Taliban who holds a gun, or a person who holds a reaping-hook in a remote part of Afghanistan, both want to see peace and
stability in the country.
We have a responsibility to bring peace, as in the beginning, the first transition, when the late Ustad Rabbani transferred power, we provided everything we had for creating the new government. There were no offices, and there were no resources. Till the international community began its support, we had to manage on our own.
Today, too, who is responsible for bringing peace? Those who are in power. Brothers, remember that the responsibility for bringing peace is less on those who, as opposition or disaffected citizens, have taken up arms and fight. We are more responsible for bringing peace. We should allow them to join us, and we should share our power with them. They have their demands. They are not going to become our servants. We must create an environment of trust for them, so they can have the confidence to join us. This time too, we have a responsibility for bringing peace [to our country].
The second challenge facing us is the transfer of military and security responsibilities. The international community came to Afghanistan. Regardless of some [legitimate] concerns, we need to realize, and we need to have the courage to admit that the international community supported Afghanistan. They helped and supported us.
Brothers, aside from a few roads in Kabul, we didn’t have any other paved roads. Today there are paved roads all over Afghanistan. Paryan (a remote part of Panjsher), for instance, was [pretty] underdeveloped, but if you go there now, you would not believe it is [the same old] Paryan. It looks [more like developed] valleys of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
We need to be grateful for God’s blessings that we received through the international community’s help. The other day, Ustad Atta, along with the minister of transportation, inaugurated Mazar Sharif Airport. Anyone who cares [about the country] knows that millions of euros were spent to build that airport. We should not ignore that the international community assisted us.
Despite the international community’s support, [it is important to note] when an army marches [it could create problems], even if that’s a prophet’s army. When the Prophet’s (PBUH) army came to a place of believers, the next day, the residents complained to the Prophet that the soldiers do [offensive] things like taking ablution in front of their houses and other (inappropriate) things. All armies are the same; [it is possible] any soldier could commit something (wrong), create problems, or misunderstandings.
I was invited to Munich, Germany when I was not in the government. A German organization had invited me. I met with a woman who was a security official. She commented that there is a lot of oppression and misery in Afghanistan. She asked how oppression and suffering in Afghanistan could end?
I asked her what she meant by that? She said when she visited Kunduz, saw all the women were covered in Chadari. That, according to her, is oppression. On the contrary, I told her that if a woman does not cover her head in Kunduz, she could get killed. That is part of the culture there.
In regards to cultural issues, the international community, in general, had good intentions for Afghanistan, but they could not implement (their plans). That’s because while we live with religious, national, and tribal prejudices, they (the international community) come from democratic and civil societies. They want us to live in harmony like they do in their societies. Just because we do not necessarily appreciate (their efforts) does not mean they are wrong.
The international community supported us, and have been here for more than ten years. One day they will have to leave, and Afghanistan would have to stand on its own feet. It would have to have its own administration, army, police, and security forces. It should stand on its own feet. Unless we stand on our own feet and take responsibility for the defense and security [of the country], we cannot expect to be a proud nation.
Transition to that stage will be difficult. The process itself will not be difficult in general, but getting used to the change will be difficult because we would need to defend independently. Now there are challenges as to who is responsible for what. The [transition] process should be implemented smoothly. Who should help and support the process? The police and the army receive the flags in ceremonies [as a symbolic sign of transfer of responsibility].
Nevertheless, it is the governors who are supposed to lead the process. If I am wrong, the head of the transition process commission can correct me. For the process to succeed, top-level [political] officials need to work hard. We need to succeed in the process. We have to reclaim our right to [govern independently].
I talked about the peace process as well as the transfer of the security and defense responsibilities. We are also going to have a political transition. In the past eight years, there was not much concern [about a political transition]. Because when President Karzai was elected, as is the tradition in the world for the incumbents, we expected him to be reelected for a second term. No one was concerned in that regard then, but now there are concerns. President Karzai cannot run for another term, and a new president would have to be elected in Afghanistan. A new team would have to take responsibility to lead the country. I have concerns in that regard.
The other day, Dilagha Khan (General Ayoub Salangi), Kabul police chief, asked me why I had [… recently not commented on political matters]. He expressed his concern about that. He said everyone is working on something. Some are going to be [presidential] nominees.
I told him, let me explain [my concern] to you. I told him I am concerned and puzzled about something. Until now, from the president down to everyone else, governors, district governors, and every government employee, all have worked as a team. It has taken 12 years to develop such a group for leading Afghanistan. That should be taken seriously. Building a new team for leading the country will be very difficult. Every one of you may wish to become president, but if you were given the task to find five qualified individuals to become ministers, you’d realize that finding five such ministers is quite a problematic [job].
That is not an easy matter. Similarly, your appointments as governors was not a matter of chance. You were carefully selected from among the best of the people to become governors. Ministers are also chosen in a similar fashion. When I say finding the right person is difficult, what I mean is that we need to consider every aspect of the decision carefully. For instance, if we pick an [open minded] intellectual for a post, how would society react to that? There are a lot of people who could become ministers. For instance, I’m personally in touch with the likes of Najmuddin Kavyani and Farid Mazdak. All of them are capable of leading ministries. However, like them, others could also have shortcomings.
In the view of some in the public, I [am described as] having a thousand or a million flaws. Everyone who faces a problem, even if a stone hits their foot, either lashes out at (me) Fahim or Karzai. Our people, the people of the (north), are madder at me. They are more critical of me. Part of the problem is a structural issue. If we had a different system where someone else, such as a prime minister, was head of the government, then no one would lash out [directly] at the president.
I keep telling President (Karzai) to [record in his name] the honor of establishing a new structure in the government where no one would have to criticize the president [for the miseries of the daily life]. For example, if police hit a roadside cart owner, the owner lashes out fiercely [directly] at Karzai, but if we had a system where the parliament elected a prime minister, the prime minister would be held responsible. I told President Karzai to shift some direct responsibility [from the presidency] to someone else (e.g., a PM). That is an aspiration and a goal. We discuss such matters at the presidential palace. You (governors) have your goals, we too have (our goals).
However, the new Afghanistan faces a multitude of challenges. Afghanistan [is faced] with evil neighbors that [possess the capability] to crush the country in a day, as in a game of buzkashi. For these reasons, we face a challenge in the political transition. [Success of] the political transition requires building a team that would replace Karzai and all of us.
Would the next president keep a person with a beard and turban as governor of Ghazni? He would appoint his governor from among his own team. That’s the tradition in the world. That raises a question, which (political) team would be able to take the responsibility to lead from the presidency down to districts, so we could feel confident that the nation remains stable and the country does not face hardship anymore? So far, the current team has been responsible, but a new team should be built.
A new team should be built based on national consensus, but not the [type of] national consensus proposed by Khalilzad. He is an American; he wants to build a national consensus for us? The other day, the commander of US forces, Dunford, came to meet me. We talked for two and a half hours. Toward the end [of our meeting], he said: the public [seems to be] very concerned about the transfer of security responsibilities. I told him, brother, the public is not worried about the security transition. They are [instead] concerned about the political transition. A concern that has been amplified by some people who claim to represent you, for example Khalilzad’s [recent] activities, who is [one day said] to visit Ustad Atta (in the north) or sees Karzai, or others.
I am only naming the honorable Dr. Khalilzad as an example. There are others too. I told (General Dunford) that your people have created concerns for us. While what they do is not important, they should be told, brothers: you are Americans. That [group] includes the brother of Mr. Karzai, and others, all of whom are Americans. It is not acceptable that one day they [decide] to return their [US] identity cards to the US Embassy and (become Afghans again). It does not work like that.
I hope my speech has not made you exhausted. There is a story in Masnavi (Rumi): one night, a jackal group went to rob a market. A jackal fell in a dyeing-vat. Once stained with dye, he claimed to be a peacock and asked the other jackals to take him to a garden. The other jackals reminded him that they are jackals who had come to rob the market and that they had to hurry to flee the place before dawn. The dye stained jackal was adamant in his belief that he was a peacock and belonged to a garden.
One cannot lead Afghanistan by believing one is a peacock. We would not allow that to happen. The Mujahidin and the people of Afghanistan would not allow that. They have suffered for a lifetime and won’t (tolerate) someone who would rule without consensus. As a result, it is necessary to have unity, solidarity, a true and real national consensus in Afghanistan, which should lead to a clear plan backed by the people of Afghanistan for moving the country forward. [A national consensus team] should be elected [to lead the country]. [That team] should not resort to settling old scores with government officials or civilians.
Some have resorted to such actions even now. Even though we have a democracy and [relative] harmony, many people resort to such measures. If in the future, similar actions were taken, that would lead to renewed fighting in the country. If [armed] conflict restarted in the country, no one would be able to stop it (again). We are not like Georgians. We would not bow to oppression. If anyone oppresses us, we would have no choice but to pick up arms. Such a possibility remains as of Afghanistan’s [leading] problems. If anyone believes the people of Afghanistan are disarmed, they are wrong. Everyone keeps a gun out of fear for their security and future. God forbid, if guns became the norm once again, no one would be able to keep the country united [in the future].
Part four of my speech is regarding our relations with our neighbors, especially regarding the problems we have in Afghanistan’s borders. In Afghanistan’s southern borders, no one can deny the problem between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the problem of the Durand Line. The Durand Line is a problem. Some believe we should not care about the Durand Line [anymore]. They think we should let go of (a Pashtun cause) and not suffer because of it. Others, like someone on a TV (show) the other day, argue that if [it is acceptable] to make claims over Pashtunistan, others should also be able to make claims about Panjdeh and other [lost] territories. Making such claims is easier said than done.
There is no doubt the Durand Line is a problem between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is called Durand (line), but in reality, it is a line of separation. The other day Dr. Ashraf Ghani also referred to it as a line of separation. That line between Afghanistan and Pakistan is a problem, and we are suffering daily because of it. The other side suffers too. Both sides have had to face a lot of problems.
We must acknowledge that Pakistan has interests in Afghanistan. Likewise, Afghanistan has interests in Pakistan. We wish to see a situation like Europe was able to resolve its border and city issues. I am not proposing resorting to guns and force to fix the problems. [We should instead resort to] rational and fair negotiations that have been the norm, and the world has experienced. [Others in the world] have been able to resolve their issues [through peaceful means].
We are ready to resolve our issues (with Pakistan). But I have to make one thing clear; if anyone wishes to settle the problems through force and aggression, by imposing their will on Afghanistan’s people, they would have to take such wishes to their graves. It is not possible at all. No political and military mind could do such a thing. While Afghanistan does not have [powerful] guns and nuclear weapons, it has a [united] nation. It has [strategic] territory and (territorial) strategic depth, which is coveted by [its enemies]. The same strategic depth will wipe you, [the aggressor] out.
We have problems and issues in our border areas. We expect Pakistan’s military and the new government there, which has experience of governing in the past, to (consider resolving) the problems.
Brothers, let’s keep in mind that the problem is not limited to Goshta and Dangam disrtics. There are problems in the provinces, too, where money gets actively distributed in the border regions, and even (Pakistani) identity cards are issued. Those are warmongering acts. Those actions create trouble and put the otherwise friendly relations between the peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan unjustifiably in danger.
We request them (the Pakistanis) to stop such activities. However, if they were to think Afghans are poor and weak (an cannot retaliate), I don’t wish to see a war between our people and the people of Pakistan, but if they continued the path of aggression, soon they will realize that the Afghan nation will defend (our country) and show them our power.
As a result, I request that we should have careful deliberation and foresight. So that God forbid, Afghanistan and Pakistan’s issues won’t lead [the two countries] into a (full-fledged) conflict [against each other]. The Pakistanis must also strive not to let the problems turn into a war. The clear and rational solution is [choosing] negotiations [over conflict].
The US, and other major world powers have a presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They could oversee such negotiations as we strive to resolve our issues. We are ready to respect Pakistan’s interests through ways that should clearly achieve and guarantee the interests of the people of Afghanistan.
Honorable governors,
These were my remarks to you. I was hoping to have the chance to sit and share my thoughts with you.
End