Pakistan Embassy in Kabul Stops Visa to Afghanistan

Pakistan embassy in Kabul has stopped visa to Afghan citizens. However, old citizen, students, ill patients and female are exempted.The reason is cited as extortion mafia ring who rob money from common Afghans outside Pakistan embassy. Pakistan government has urged the Afghan government to take concrete actions against the corrupt elements. Here are some facts:

Pakistan embassy is the most sought after and busy embassy. Most of the Afghans want to come to Pakistan for treatment, study or business.

The extortion rings charges 100 to 150 dollars per person although Pakistani visa is very cheap in real.

Pakistani embassy in Kabul is under staffed and the traffic is overwhelming. Pakistan's government can do something about that.

Most of the abusive comments come from Afghani citizens who either lives abroad or do not need any medical or educational assistance, neither they have any business in Pakistan. Such people are " kanzal maar " and one of the reasons, which spoil the relations between both countries.

Pakistan must introduce online visa system to facilitate Afghans. Furthermore, station or city based visa system can be introduced. If one has business or some work in Peshawar, only Peshawar's visa should be granted without any hassle. This can facilitate and also make it easier for the government to monitor movement.

Students, elderly people (aged over 60), businessmen and female should be allowed free movement subject to necessary arrangements and feasibility.

( Ref: Hassan Khan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlKZskgVi54 )

Observations on Syrian Quagmire

1- Cant brush off assad's tyranny under the carpet just because he defeated isis with the help of Iranian militias and Russian air power. 

2- No sir, history will remember what transpired beforehand as Arab spring was on its peak.

3- Bashar ul assad brutally clamped down on peaceful protesters who were demanding him and his inefficient government to step down. 

4- Assad should have listened to the opposition's voices by working out a win-win formula but he never did. He was simply not interested to relinquish power.

5- Assad quelled the protests with violence which made the people forced to take up arms.

6- ISIS took advantage of the vacuum created by lack of the writ.

7- The US and western powers along with KSA and Qatar exacerbated the conflict by encouraging the opposition with fianances and ammunition but never really boosted their position with military involvement on crucial junctures.

8- Russia came to rescue its secure strategically vital naval base at Latakia which guaranteed control of important waterways. Hence it enhanced the Geo strategic calculus in favor of Kremlin.

9- The only ones to bear the brunt were poor Syrian people - women, children, aged and young alike. They were caught between devil and the deep sea.

10- These horrific images surfacing from Syrian war theater reaffirms the notion that war is a monster and it destroys the societies from inside out and scars its incoming generations for decades.Bashar Al Assad's father, Hafez Al Assad also usurped power in a coup. Nobody is entitled to remain in power perpetually. But in monarchies and dictatorships across Middle East, it is a norm which is absurd. If people are dying and their lives, dignity and property is not safe from every corner, then there is a serious problem.

Few observations on US - Iran crisis

1- The US president scraps nuclear deal with Iran w/o the consensus of other parties to the agreement.

2- The US impose tough economic sanctions back on Iran and bully small countries to act accordingly. (Might is right principle applied)

3- Iran never scraps the deal and waits for European partners of nuke deal to play their role. As expected, they either dont have the muscles or the will to enable the U.S. to change its mind or chalk out an independent approach contrary to Washington.

4- Gulf countries led by KSA leads hostilities on all fronts with Iran. 

5- Britain seizes Iran's tankers off the cost of Gibraltar. Iran being a sovereign state urges to release the tanker unconditionally only to respond with similar action in strait of hormuz. Fair game isnt it?

6- Media portray Iran as a great satan while white washing the west's own bigotry on the self created crisis. 

7- points to ponder? Does only the western countries sovereignty, lives and security matters? What about other countries which have been utterly destroyed to ashes due to undue interference. Who is responsible for making my future endanger. Double game and duplicity isnt it?

8- Here Pakistan must not stay aloof in the event of any aggression. As it is cash strapped, the best option is to pursue diplomacy. However, that option also seem far fetched owing to no worthwhile leverage with both contending powers. Still one must not sit like a lame duck. Also it should not provide any land access to attack Iran in order to creat a two prong situation. We have no enmity whatsoever.

9- Here, I also want to remind the Iranian naive tactics of influencing Pakistan from western borders when Pakistan was engaged with india to their east. Yes jundullah and other issues have been there. Still timing of such statements really pissed the military and civilian leadership. We as Pakistan must not repeat such a behavior to pressurize the Islamic republic. 

10- Iranian moderate leadership is under immense pressure from conservative clergy (mullahs of Iran). Conservatives are taunting rouhani and its able foreign minister for striking a deal with mercurial and non trustworthy US. The death of the deal enhanced clergy's grip on power while moderates are pushed against the wall.