The terror and targeted killings carried out by the militant guerrilla fighters have filled the air with a sense of fear and disappointment. The security situation deteriorates with each passing day and Afghan civilians and soldiers are killed in one way or another. The deadly and life-threatening incidents increase public anxiety and implant chagrin in the society. The public loses their morale and confidence and the status quo make entrepreneurs to give up financial investment.
Militancy discourages the individuals and puts mental pressure on them. In other words, insurgency and political unrest will not only damage a society’s economic infrastructure but also harm the public mentally and emotionally. The pugnacious nature of Afghans is the result of three decades of war and violence. For instance, the tribal arguments, one’s hot temper and violent behaviors within his/her family or society and men’s aggressive attitude towards women are the destructive effect of carnage and bloodshed across the country. It is an undeniable fact that when one is socialized in a violent environment, suffered cruelty and witnessed fighting and killing, s/he will grow in the same way. Moreover, one will lose his/her confidence and hope.
It is believed that whenever the individuals’ rights and freedoms are not valued in a society, they will not respect law and order and chaos will emerge among the public. Therefore, life will be cheap. When the state is not able to protect the citizens’ rights to life, liberty and property and criminals are at large, many others will usher in criminal acts and break legal restrictions, religious values and ethical code. There is no doubt in cheapness of life in our society. The devoted souls, mainly soldiers, who serve the nation with strong sense of faith and humanity, are killed easily. The blood of women and children is spilt on the street in suicide bombings and travelers lose their lives by Improvised Explosive Device (IED) or abducted and killed on the grounds of their race, color or creed. Subsequently, such outrageous acts of violence are condemned by the officials, without a strong backlash against the murderers. I believe that the increase in civilian casualties and high graph of corruption and crime and violent acts are the result of poor reactions from the officials.
Currently, the Taliban fighters target high-ranking officials, mainly those who carry out heavy operations against the militants. Although this incident will not deter our soldiers, it is a tragedy for the country. First, the government will have to combat terrorism more strongly than ever before. Secondly, it should tighten the security and protect the life of anti-Taliban figures through increasing their bodyguards and accommodating them in safe and secure residences. Needless to say, if preventive measures are not taken for the protection of high-ranking officials, the nation will lose them in some ways.
Afghan National Army (ANA) and soldiers, who play the best role in defending the country and protecting the life and liberty of the nation, are the national capital. In another item, our soldiers are the backbone of the country and seek to prevent from violence and bloodshed at the cost of their own lives. They make sacrifices to safeguard nation’s life, national values and social norms. So, the lives of soldiers, whose only claim to fame is to protect the individuals, should be held in respect. Their death is an irreparable loss for the nation.
The words of condemnation as a reaction to the Taliban’s militancy and targeted killings will embolden them. The officials are to respond the militants stronger and target the high-ranking Taliban so as to demoralize them and prevent from further loss. Witnessing the abortive efforts for holding peace talks and the Taliban’s foul play, I have always suggested military deal with the Taliban outfits. The Taliban fighters have increased insurgency and terror rather than decreasing their deadly operations. The death toll, containing combatants and non-combatants, escalated within the two past years – which is a flagrant ridicule to peace talks.
With the unmitigated violence, the mouth-watering hope for democracy and freedom has ebbed away. Warring parties put democracy under question through deteriorating the security situation and targeting the soldiers and high-ranking officials. Recently, a number of soldiers lost their lives. Since the Taliban are reeling from the death of their leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, they seek revenge via inflicting harm and casualty upon the nation. Therefore, it is believed that “an eye for an eye” is the most suitable policy and effective mechanism in this regard. If not military deal, what will be the right strategy? What will be the next mechanism following the futile talks?
The persistent militancy, which has increased the combatant and non-combatant casualties, has been a roadblock to peace talks. Therefore, talks and military deal were toss-up for Afghan government. It would be naïve to think that Afghan government and the Taliban could agree on a common agenda about peace since the Taliban exercise radical ideology and violate humanitarian law. The government is considered a puppet administration for the Taliban elements and they will continue their insurgency. As the Taliban outfits talk with the barrel of gun and resort to bullet rather than peaceful mechanism, only counterinsurgent tactic will curb the issue and reduce violence and bloodshed.