The people of Afghanistan yearn for peace. Like all other peoples around the world, they too wish to build their lives, so that they can live in peace, security, honour and dignity. Unfortunately, this has not been possible because of the strife that continues to engulf that country. Howsoever ardently may Pakistan desire to insulate itself from events in Afghanistan, it cannot do so. The 2,500 kilometers long border shared by Pakistan and Afghanistan in an extremely difficult terrain has always been very porous.
Many tribes straddle the border areas.
Historically, there have been tribal movements from Afghanistan to Pakistan during the winter months and back to Afghanistan during the summers. Millions of Afghan refugees trekked to Pakistan after the Soviet occupation, and their movement to and from Afghanistan has since been largely uncontrolled. Pakistan has to cope with these realities. That is the fundamental difference between our situation and those of others, who, sitting at a distance, find it easy to tender advice or to level baseless, self-serving allegations against my country. The reality in Afghanistan also is that the Taliban control 90 per cent of the territory, including the capital, Kabul.