Malek Setez: Former Republican Leaders Have No Right to Speak of Patriotism

DID Press: In response to wave of reactions to Pakistan’s recent attacks on Afghanistan, political analyst and researcher Malek Setez sharply criticized former Republic leaders, accusing them of hypocrisy. He said those who once traded the country’s legitimacy and territorial integrity by signing agreements with the United States and the Taliban have no right to speak of constitution or national sovereignty.

Writing on his Facebook page on Sunday (October 12), Setez condemned new stances of former Republic officials, saying that the same figures who now speak of “national honor” in the face of Pakistan’s assaults were the ones who, during their time in power, undermined the foundations of the republic through political compromises and ignoring responsibility.

With sarcasm directed at former leaders, he said: “Gentlemen, the horses you ride on the streets of Berlin, London, Washington, and Istanbul, waving the flag of patriotism, are all made of paper. Be careful not to fall off and wake up from your dream.”

Recalling the fall of the republic and the flight of officials from Kabul and Bagram, Setez wrote that the collective memory of Afghanistan people remains alive, and any effort to restore the political image of the past will be futile.

His remarks come as a number of former Afghanistan officials — including Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah — have condemned Pakistan’s recent attacks, calling them a blatant violation of Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.

However, many Afghanistan political figures in exile have also criticized the Taliban government, holding it responsible for enabling Pakistan’s military operations. Some have cited the Taliban’s weak air surveillance and defense capabilities as the main reason behind Islamabad’s successful cross-border operations.

Pakistan’s latest attacks and the divided reactions of former Afghanistan politicians have once again exposed the deep fractures in Afghanistan’s national narratives — from the republic to the emirate.