PEACE AND STABILITY IN AFGHANISTAN FOSTERS SECURITY AND AMITY IN SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA

Abstract

Peace, stability, and security in Afghanistan, the ‘heart of Asia,’ have always remained a matter of deep concern because the peace of Afghanistan preserves the peace in South as well as Central Asia. From early times, Afghanistan was at the junction of various civilizations as crossroads on the Silk Route, connecting the East to the West and Central Asia to the Arabian Sea as well as the Indian Ocean. Considering her the ‘heart of Asia’, Afghanistan has the potential to significantly influence regional and global politics by leveraging its shared cultures, ethnic traditions, and communal customs with these areas. The uncertainty in Afghanistan has generated ripples of insecurity and instability in the region, fractured the interests of its neighboring countries, and can potentially affect the contours of international politics. However, peace and stability in Afghanistan would be essential for intra-regional trade, economic prosperity and regional security. Moreover, it could play a central role in the socio-economic and political stability, transit, and trade across the continental barriers of the world. Afghanistan has been constantly a topic of discussion due to its volatile geo-political situation, which links South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Afghanistan has remained directly or indirectly associated in global power politics ever since its creation as a sovereign state. But unfortunately, almost throughout its history, the incessant chaos has been undermining its regional peace, prosperity and stability. Afghanistan has suffered many invasions of the external powers at different times during the course of its history. In the Great Game of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Afghanistan acted as a ‘buffer zone’ for the influential forces, as a middle-of-the-road between the British, American and Russian empires. Even during the Cold War, Afghanistan played a pivotal role in the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Moreover, the Cold War profoundly influenced the strategic thinking, security policies and sensitivities of the major regional states, resulting in conflicting interests and the formation of loosely structured regional alliances around Afghanistan. This study examines the role of South and Central Asia to maintain peace and stability in Afghanistan and explores the different facets of various ruling governments in Afghanistan striving for their political struggle against the foreign powers. Unending instability in Afghanistan would disrupt global politics as well as regional politics, especially in Pakistan, China, Iran, and Russia. Resultantly, a peaceful and stable Afghanistan could significantly contribute to regional and global economic cooperation. The political unrest and uncertainty in Afghanistan could spill over into other states in the region. The creation of new ethnic ‘Central Asian States’ has primarily altered the security environment of the region. Nevertheless, the interconnected elements of regionalism, ethnicity and religion have rendered Afghanistan highly unstable for the entire region. The present research aims to unveil that despite internal clashes, the resistance of the Afghan groups suppressing the external powers is ultimately the dream of a peaceful Afghanistan leading towards a stable Afghanistan.