‘Wage war in the name of jihad’: Former Pakistani army chief General Bajwa confronted by an Afghan in France

The former head of the Pakistan army, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, was interrupted by an Afghan civilian during a family trip in France. In a video, which has gone viral on social media, the Pashto-speaking man can be heard insulting Bajwa. He called the former army chief a “murderer” and accused him of helping the Taliban loot Afghanistan.

Bajwa served as Pakistan’s army chief of staff from November 2016 to November 2022. During his tenure as army chief, the Taliban returned to power after overthrowing the civilian government of then-President Ashraf Ghani in August 2021. Within weeks of the return of the Taliban to power, the then head of Pakistan’s ISI, General Faiz Hameed, landed in Kabul.

The civilian accused Bajwa of human rights violations in Afghanistan. “For the past 40 years, Bajwa has waged a war under the name of Jihad in Afghanistan,” the person said. In the video, Bajwa and his wife can be seen sitting on the road. Bajwa also tried to stop the person from making a video and warned that he will call the police. However, the civilian was undeterred, saying, “Bulao Police (call police).”

Hibba Ali, a Pakistani, commented on the boos from the Afghan person, saying the video was a stark reminder that accountability knows no borders. “Watching the video of former #Pakistan Army Chief General (R) #QamarJavedBajwa facing public anger in #France is a stark reminder that #accountability knows no borders. It is crucial that leaders listen to the voices of their people “, wrote.

There has been anger among a section of Afghans who believe the Pakistani army helped the Taliban take control of the country. Just one day after the Taliban seized power, then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan backed the new rulers, saying Afghanistan had broken the “chains of slavery.”

In August 2021, The Washington Post reported that for the better part of half a century, Pakistan cultivated militant elements in Afghanistan as part of its own regional quest for “strategic depth”. The report said that for their allies in the Pakistani establishment, the appeal of the Taliban was as much political as tactical. “Some were sympathetic to the Islamists’ extremist ideology, while others saw it as an indispensable asset in countering India, the Financial Times said in a report.

“Taliban leaders have lived and done business in Pakistan, and wounded fighters have been treated in its hospitals. The Haqqani Network, an affiliate of the Taliban, has a ‘close relationship’ with the ISI, according to a recent report by the Institute of USA of peace.”