Mahmood Khan Achakzai: Pakistan Cannot Impose Its Demands on Afghanistan
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, stated in a Pakistani program that Afghanistan enjoys greater security and justice compared to Pakistan, and that Pakistan lacks the ability to impose its demands and policies on the Afghan people.
Referring to the historical context of the war in Afghanistan, he said that after the Soviet forces entered, the United States, with Pakistan’s support, launched extensive intelligence operations, turning Afghanistan into a battleground for nearly a decade. According to him, the greatest losses were suffered by the Afghan people, while Pakistan and the US capitalized on the outcomes.
Achakzai added that during the same period, Pakistani parliamentary committees ostensibly emphasized providing facilities for Afghan refugees, but in practice, these refugees were exploited politically. He said Pakistan’s ongoing policy has been to use Afghans, especially poor Pashtuns, as cheap labor, and Islamabad is displeased with Afghanistan’s regional and global competition and development.
The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party leader also criticized Pakistan’s domestic situation, stating that the lack of a democratic culture and social justice has prevented the country from becoming a successful regional model. He claimed that while Pakistan’s political structures face a crisis of fairness, Afghanistan possesses greater potential in terms of republican spirit and democratic capacity.
In another part of his remarks, Achakzai addressed girls’ education and cultural issues, saying that Afghanistan has been a victim of foreign interventions—particularly by Russia and the US—for decades, interventions that destroyed social structures and values and ultimately left the country unsupported.
He labeled Pakistan’s policy toward the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) as wrong, noting that Islamabad has facilitated extremism by militarizing schools and then shifted the responsibility onto the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan. He believes that Pakistan’s efforts to impose its views and demands on Afghanistan, especially concerning water rights and refugees, demonstrate Pakistan’s political weakness.
Achakzai described the forced expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan as “blatant injustice” and warned that Pakistan will one day have to answer for such policies. He emphasized that rebuilding and strengthening Afghanistan is only possible through the will and efforts of its residents, adding that experience has shown foreign powers always desire a weak, dependent Afghanistan for their own benefit.
