Standing Up for Justice And Truth in Afghanistan

Better late than never. The war-riven country has eventually adopted an 'Action Plan for Peace Reconciliation and Justice' at the conclusion of a conference in Kabul .

Hailed as a "significant step", the action plan deserves recognition, at least in rhetoric, for two main reasons.

First, the action plan calls for the removal of perpetrators of war crimes from Karzai's administration. Sadly, many of these power holders, whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent Afghans, are currently sharing desterkhaan with the Afghan and international officials.

Should the vetting of these individuals genuinely be taken as 'top priority' by the Afghan government, the administration would ultimately win the hearts and minds of the entire Afghan population. This is because almost each Afghan family has been affected in one way or the other over the 24 years of sufferings and violence in Afghanistan.

Second, the action plan calls for talking justice about the violence committed by almost everyone, who abused the rights of people: from the pro-communist era to the recent Taleban control of Afghanistan.

If the action plan is implemented as envisaged, it would truly transform the spirit of Afghan society. There are thousands of families seeking justice for the losses and pains they have suffered. This is a much relieving step for a strong nation.

It is clear that an ambitious plan dealing with such topics as truth and justice that encompass a constellation of meanings and interpretations is not an easy task.

An important question rises whether the Afghan government and the international community would be willing to compromise some political instability at the cost of bringing to justice the perpetrators.

In other words, how is the government going to deal with the aftermath of holding these influential officials/individuals responsible for their brutal crimes against the Afghan society?

While some are already dead, many of these individuals enjoy enormous respect, support and backing from their respective communities. Considerable attention should be devoted to the cultural, societal and political complexities of Afghanistan in the process of trying these individuals.

Most important, nowhere within this action plan, as it stands, have I come across the question of crimes commited by external states.

Most of today's Afghan problems could be traced to the external intervention and exploitation. Who is responsible for making Afghanistan one of the most mined countries in the world? Which country is prepared to take responsibility and compensate for the loss of thousands of innocent lives, predominantly children?

Furthermore, serving justice has important security and safety considerations. How could the government make sure that the victims have the courage to come forward and stand for their rights? What practical steps would be in place to mitigate the fear of retaliation and abuse for coming forward and expressing one's voice?

This all means that the formidable process of seeking justice for a war-ravaged society like Afghanistan is an uphill task.

While truly a significant step, we must be aware that this process would not make the dream of thousands of Afghans come true without active government support and the international observation.

Above all, Karzai's administration must be prepared to make some sacrifices- whether political or economic, and maybe both. This is a worthwhile step and at no cost should the Afghan government back away from this historical venture.

Justice served in Afghanistan. That's the next headline we are all looking forward to, eagerly and passionately.

For more information about the Action Plan: Reuters Report