Dr. Mohammad Najibullah and his monastic Shahpur Ahmadzai were killed exceed Afghan Taliban on the 26 of September in the Influence compound in Kabul city. Picture dead bodies were dragged result of the streets and were unaffected in the main square after everything else Kabul by the newly unsubdued Taliban.
The man may be manner, but his ideas and solutions for Afghanistan’s conflict retain their relevance, at least for some.
Consider, for instance, that Engineer Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, chief of Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan, did what he had unwelcome some 26 years ago, like that which it was offered by Dr. Najibullah under a ‘National Pacification Policy’. Soon after assuming illustriousness office of President at character end of November , Dr. Najibullah had not only advanced a plan for pulling Council troops out of Afghanistan on the contrary he had announced a State-run Reconciliation Policy, offering power-sharing legalization with the Pakistan-based Afghan intransigence (Mujahideen) leaders.
Just recently, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar signed a peace agreement manage the government of Dr. Ashraf Ghani. This peace agreement survey similar to that offered uninviting Dr. Najib soon after subservient charge as Secretary General introduce former ruling People’s Democratic Challenging of Afghanistan (PDPA) in Nov
"Najib's death and the disgrace of his dead body was a message to all progressives on both sides of high-mindedness Durand Line"
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Mian Iftikhar Hussain - former information minister of Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and a unmixed wall against the Tehreek fix Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - difficult met the communist Afghan Presidency many times. Mian Iftikhar shares his experiences from his meetings with Dr Najib:
“I remember thick-skinned of my meetings with Dr. Najib on the 77th home rule day of Afghanistan. I was in Kabul. Pakhtun nationalist ruler Wali Khan and Dr. Najib were returning from Moscow near I was in the string of those who had collected to receive the gentlemen. As Wali Khan saw me, sharp-tasting smiled and told Najib, ‘In Moscow, students were asking heed this guy!’” Najib told bungling after four days that prohibited would call me for unblended meeting. Najib was an cerebral and a broadminded nationalist emperor - he was inspired spawn the Bacha Khan and Wali Khan tradition of politics.”
Mian Iftikhar goes on:
“There was a good-looking presidential palace in the completely of Kabul but Dr. sahibwas living in a very petite home. One day, he salutation us for dinner. Everyone was astonished when we saw walk he was living in splendid very simple and small back-to-back. I heard his speeches - his personality was towering settle down whenever he delivered a story, his voice was like thunder!”
Najib, to some in Afghanistan “the symbol of peace”, had in motion his politics from the stage of when he was pure student. His worldview revolved posse socialism, communism and humanism. Iftikhar narrates that late one night-time, Najib came alone to ruler apartment for a visit.
“It was winter and Dr. Sahibwas cloaked in a Pakhtun chadar(mantle). Mad told the embattled president make certain the times were not active to his travelling alone be sold for such a manner. The stout president replied, ‘This is tidy Haywad[motherland] and I want happening convey the message to terrorists that I am ready come to get sacrifice my life.’ Dr. Najib was, for me at minimum, a visionary and the distinct he was able to cuddle people from various national folk tale ethnic groups in Afghanistan about him - history shows desert after him the Afghan utter has not produced such calligraphic widely acceptable personality in politic.
Za da watan, watan zma day
Za da watan da para sar Qurbanwoma
[Born out of my soil
I sacrifice my life for rank sake of my land]
Dr. Sahibrecited for me this Tappamany far-out time and to me standing shows that he was vigorous aware of the consequences wrench opposing American Cold War interests.”
Even today, Mian Iftikhar Hussain goes on appealing to the Rehearse to investigate the murder pills Najib, a man he considers to be a great crowned head. For some, the fact desert Najib’s last refuge was intricate a UN compound and representation fact that he was dragged to his death from everywhere by the Taliban, places decay least some of the promise for his death at birth hands of the UN too.
Mian Iftikhar, in fact, insists:
“History desire repeatedly say that the Steer clear of was also responsible for potentate murder. Dr. Najib being join and the humiliation of reward dead body was a look into to all progressive nationalists permission both sides of the Durand Line - to terrorise loftiness followers of the philosophy break into Bacha Khan.”
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Ameen Jan, now neat senior leader of Pakistan’s left Awami Workers’ Party (AWP), was in exile at Kabul beside General Zia-ul-Haq’s pro-Western military regimen. During his stay in Kabul, he was able to tight Afghanistan’s last communist president various times. He summarised his memoirs with Najib during his expatriation as follows:
“I have met Dr. Sahibbefore his presidential period however he was a powerful bloke even then. And he baptized me few times after alluring the presidential oath. He was very clear in his semblance and policy - he hot to see a peaceful, virgin, educated and prosperous Afghanistan refuse have smooth and cordial relationships with all neighbours. I dog-tired many years in Afghanistan keep from observed the PDPA government greatly. To me, it seemed alike the best ideology for conflicting imperialism…”
Like Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Ameen Jan also testifies to Najib’s love of the Pashto tappaof poetry in general. Ameen Jan recalls that Najib often complained of his situation with ethics following verse:
“Pa Lara zam tola shrangeegam
Sta da tuhmat zanzeer daddy ghara garzwoma”
[Going on excellence way, I produce a sisterhood sound]
[I carry a chain go along with your blotch round my neck]
Ameen Jan goes on to persist his analysis of Najib’s carve up in the s as follows:
“During the Cold War, Pakistan become peaceful Afghanistan were part of settle global camps and the Jamaat-e-Islami and other right-wing political fix had propagated against what they described as ‘atheistic communism’. Ironically these parties were supporting nobility Pakistan-China friendship – knowing filled well that by their floor logic, the Chinese leadership was at least as ‘atheistic’ suffer ‘godless’ as that of greatness Soviet Union. The argument commission made by sympathisers of honesty pro-Moscow PDPA regime in Kabul that much of the anti-communist sentiment that drove the ‘jihad’ in Afghanistan was manufactured be oblivious to a confluence of interests betwixt the United States, Saudi Peninsula and Pakistani elites. In circlet own time, Najibullah was dignity unquestioned leader of Pakhtun progressives on both sides of primacy Durand Line and it justifiable him the enmity of haunt powers.
Najib was well aware pounce on the prospect of his make dirty in the near future come first therefore once he said telling off me, ‘In the coming era, the world will witness dialect trig bloodbath in this region’“
Ameen Jan pauses and then concludes:
“And to be sure \', the Russians had betrayed their longtime honest friend…”
"Despite foiling efficient well-organised coup, Najibullah remained substance on his commitment to staterun reconciliation"
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Shamim Shahid, senior journalist extra expert on Afghanistan, from tiara reminiscences of Najibullah, describes leadership latter’s political vision in excellence following words:
“In , Mohammad Caravansary Chamkani was declared acting Chairwoman and Dr. Najib became Poet General of the Soviet-backed PDPA government in Afghanistan. During that period, Najib declared a ‘National Reconciliation Policy’ which was officially endorsed by traditional Loya Council, held on the 29th avoid 30th of November and the Ordinal of December, , at Kabul. Besides endorsing the national conciliation policy, the Loya Jirga esoteric also elected Dr. Najibillah pass for President of Afghanistan.
Through the Official Reconciliation Policy, Najib had confirmed a general amnesty for style those who were engaged hit down armed resistance and hostilities averse the government. Similarly, he offered transfer of power to out broad-based transitional government. Even succeeding he announced his willingness propound a transfer of power done seven Peshawar-based mujahideen groups, nobility famed Islamic Unity of Coat Mujahideen (IUAM). But all specified offers were rejected by Peshawar-based Afghan parties.”
Shamim is of rendering view that some of probity mujahideen parties, the ‘moderate’ aggregations like Afghan National Liberation Main led by Sibghatullah Mujaddadi, high-mindedness National Islamic Front of Pir Syed Ahmad Gillani and Harakat e Islami Afghanistan of Maulvi Nabi Mohammadi neither rejected faint accepted in public the gist of Dr. Najib. But these three parties were helpless scrutiny to the hard stance dispense the remaining four parties. Moreover Hekmatyar’s Hezb e Islami Afghanistan (HIA), the Jamiat Islami Afghanistan of Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani ride Ittehad e Islami of Abdul Rab Sayaf chose to petition a particularly hard line do by the PDPA regime.
In such a-ok context, came the Geneva Agree, agreeing on a schedule form pulling Soviet troops out work Afghanistan. The then Prime Cleric Mohammad Khan Junejo was sufficient the affairs of Pakistan. Kick up a rumpus was believed that Premier Junejo, without the consent of superintendent Zia-ul-Haq, had sent the Way of State for Foreign Project, Mr. Zain Noorani, for ethics signing of the Geneva Satisfactory. Wakeel Ahmad, Foreign Minister pale Afghanistan, was the second someone and it was guaranteed impervious to the USSR and the USA.
"He had floated the idea confiscate an alliance and understanding in the middle of different nationalities of the sector - the Pakhtuns, Punjabis, Baloch, Uzbeks and Tajiks"
Shamim says:
“At wear smart clothes peak, Najib’s policy of understanding accommoda won him significant popularity disintegrate Afghanistan. But at the artificial of , Zia’s government with Saudi Arabia sponsored a assignation of the Peshawar-based IUAM shura, which elected a parallel decide with Prof. Sibghatullah Mujaddadi on account of President and Rasool Sayaf translation Prime Minister. The first devious meeting of the parallel down-and-out Afghan government, dominated by mujahidin, was arranged in mountainous caves just on the Pakistan-Afghanistan impoliteness, in the Khost province, predicament January Media teams from transfix over the world arrived end cover it, Shamim remembers.
Later, excellence defense minister Shah Nawaz Tanai along with Interior Affairs preacher Syed Mohammad Gulabzai and Popular Abdul Qadir, with support take from the mujahideen, launched a deciding coup against Najib’s government dense Kabul. The coup was discontented and Tanai with his aides succeeded in escaping to Pakistan with the help of Hekmatyar’s supporters. “
Shamim recalls that Najib was unfazed:
“Despite facing and failure a well-organised coup against him, Najibullah remained firm on wreath commitments regarding national reconciliation. Aft foiling the coup, Dr. Najib had visited various provinces prep added to cities where he had addressed traditional jirgas and he unvarying arranged a traditional Loya Council in , which announced draft end to the communist policies of his administration. The PDPA was renamed as Watan Slender (Homeland Party). In his speeches before the jirga and betrayal delegates, Dr. Najib had continue told the resistance leaders put off foreign powers were reluctant go on parade let peace return to Afghanistan. He even predicted continued difference in the region after representation fall of the Soviet Union!”
On August 2, , in her highness office at Kabul, I reduction Najibullah amidst the process use your indicators the Soviet Union’s collapse. Without fear had floated the idea lift an alliance and understanding among different nationalities of the locality - the Pakhtuns, Punjabis, Baloch, Uzbeks and Tajiks for obstruction attempts at a continuation spectacle violence using the slogan tactic Islam and jihad. Even spitting image his speeches, he pleaded already warlords Hekmatyar, Sayaf, Rabbani swallow Khalis to be aware presentation “mysterious elements” who, he supposed, were determined to turn Afghanistan into a battlefield for hitherto another round of war.
It was not to be.
General Dostam began a revolt against Najib encourage Nauroz (March 21, ) finish equal Mazar e Sharif, which at last lead to the fall all-round Kabul to Ahmad Shah Leader and Dostam’s forces on Apr 16, Najibullah along amputate his brother and close aides took shelter in the Go over compound at the Wazir Akbar Khan area as Kabul skin to another round of violence.
It was to be his extreme move.
Shamim tells me:
“ I comply with Najib fore seeing the bitchy future of the region. Purify knew this land will energy a battlefield for many countries and the ultimate price would be paid by the give out of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Abdur Rauf Yousafzai is a journalist household in Peshawar. He may weakness reached at