On 12 February 2013, during the State of the Union Address, U.S. President Barack Obama announced, "Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, another 34,000 American troops will return home from Afghanistan. This withdrawal will continue. And by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over." Just before this announcement, Pakistan had already started the release of Afghan Talban which has increased its pace further. Before this announcement, on 03 February 2013, the spokesman of Tehrike Talban Pakistan (TTP) Ehsan Ullah Ehsan suddenly, through a video, offered peace negotiation with Government of Pakistan which was welcomed by traitors within the political and military leadership. They organized an all-parties conference and issued declarations supporting the negotiations. The hypocrisy is apparent.  Previously, when most of the people of Pakistan were demanding the end to military operation in tribal region and advised the government to start negotiations with the people of tribal regions, the traitors in the military and political leadership whole-heartedly supported military operations and strongly opposed any negotiation, rather they claim that this war is our war and we must win it at any cost.

At the same time the traitor rulers are trying to secure the attendance of most prominent religious scholars of Pakistan at the Afghan Ullema Conference which is scheduled for the first or second week of March in Kabul. At the start of the Afghan occupation, traitors amongst the political and military leadership supported America-politically, militarily, and provided logistic and intelligence support. Similarly America is trying to gain the support of Pakistan again through the traitors in the political and military leadership in order to force Afghan Talban and the Muslims of Afghanistan to surrender to the American "solution" for Afghanistan, which is a partial troop withdrawal and full control of the country through a puppet government. For this purpose, America is trying to create a positive political environment and public opinion with the release of Afghan Talban in Pakistan and organizing the Ullema Conference in Kabul.

This entire situation is highly regrettable because when America wanted to invade, occupy and strengthen its position in Afghanistan, it secured the support of Pakistan's General Musharraf and currently America seeks to exit the Afghan quagmire in good shape; it once again finds support from Musharraf's former right-hand man, General Kayani. America could neither have invaded nor occupied Afghanistan without the help of Pakistan, or leave Afghanistan respectfully without their help. This shows that the seat of power in this region is Pakistan and without its help, America can not do much in this region. On 14 February 2013, former American ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter said, "The fact that we were unable to say that we were sorry until July, cost our country literally billions of dollars." He was pointing to the costly shift of sending supplies for Afghanistan via Central Asia, instead of via Pakistan. This statement is an admission of Pakistan's strength and its capability.

By becoming a part of this American war, achieved nothing but losses. Contrary to Musharraf's promises, neither the Kashmir dispute has been settled, nor has Pakistan's economic situation improved, nor has its international stature improved and nor has it increased the security of its nuclear assets. Instead the Kashmir issue has been buried and Pakistan incurred losses of more then seventy billion dollars to its economy and the lost forty thousand military and civilian lives. Pakistan is seen internationally as America's donkey, which beats it constantly, demanding more. The increased American presence within Pakistan certainly does not add to the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.  And is if all this were not enough, America is to establish a permanent presence on our doorstep, under the disguise of "withdrawal."

The Muslims must decisively mobilize to end this unfolding treachery. Initially, Musharraf and his cronies committed treason on the grounds that if we support America in its endeavor in Afghanistan, America will help Pakistan for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and to strengthen its economy. Now the traitors within military and political leadership, headed by General Kayani and Zardari, are committing treachery again by forwarding this argument that we should help America in its withdrawal, to exit this war. But sixty-six years of Pakistan's history proves that as long as the traitors in the political and military leadership continue to secure the seat of power, they will sacrifice Pakistan, its people and its resources to fulfill American objectives. The time for the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" is needed to end American presence in the region and to rid traitors within the political and military leadership. A powerful Khilafah "Caliphate" state will unify Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Central Asian Muslim countries and secure this region from the hostile American, British and Russian states. There is no solution other than the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State. This is the obligation of our Deen, Islam, and a lesson in Muslim history as well.

Shahzad Shaikh

Deputy to the Official Spokesman of Hizb utTahrir in Wilayah of Pakistan