It Had to Happen Ultimately

For quite some time, Paki­stan has been enduring con­tinued terrorist attacks on mosques, shrines, markets, law enforcement agencies, secu­rity institutions, and mili­tary checkpoints. Lately, the terrorists are focus­ing more on attacks on law enforcement agen­cies and military check­points, including Zhob and Chitral Garrisons. These attacks were carried out by TTP operatives based in Afghanistan, supported by Afghan nationals. The terrorists used weapons and night vision equipment left behind by US forces in Afghanistan.

The government of Pakistan and security establishment have been exhibiting utmost patience against these provocations and have all along been urging the Afghan gov­ernment not to allow sanctuaries for TTP operatives on its soil, stop the TTP from carrying out attacks in Pakistan, and also ensure that Afghan nationals refrain from sup­porting these heinous acts. Regret­tably, no tangible steps were taken by the Taliban government to ful­fill its obligations in this regard.

As they say, there is a limit to everything. The latest attack on a military checkpoint on March 16th in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, in which two officers and five sol­diers of the Pakistan Army were martyred, proved to be the tipping point. Pakistan’s planes struck at the hideout of the Hafiz Gul Ba­hadar group inside Afghan terri­tory along the Pak-Afghan border, killing eight terrorists. This group had claimed responsibility for the March 16th attack.

It had to happen ultimately, and Pakistan is fully justified in retal­iating and sending a strong mes­sage that it would not tolerate any more attacks by the TTP terrorists operating from Afghan soil. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the security establishment have right­ly expressed unflinching resolve in this regard, at the same time re­iterating the desire for peaceful coexistence. Reportedly, the Tal­iban defense ministry said that its security forces targeted Paki­stani troops along the border in response to the air strikes. This is indeed a very worrying situation.

The spokesperson of the Minis­try of Foreign Affairs, while con­firming the attack in a statement issued by them, reminded the Tal­iban government of its obligations and emphasized finding a joint solution to countering terrorism and preventing any terrorist or­ganization from sabotaging bilat­eral relations with Afghanistan. The statement said that Pakistan fully realized the challenge Af­ghan authorities faced in combat­ing the threat posed by TTP, add­ing that terrorist groups like TTP were a collective threat to region­al peace and security. The state­ment further said, “Pakistan has great respect for the people of Af­ghanistan. However, certain ele­ments among those in power in Afghanistan are actively patroniz­ing TTP and using them as a proxy against Pakistan. Such an ap­proach against a brotherly coun­try, which stood with the people of Afghanistan through thick and thin, manifests shortsightedness. We urge these elements in power to rethink the policy of siding with Kharijite terrorists shedding the blood of innocent Pakistanis and to make a clear choice to stand with the people of Pakistan.”

Nobody in their right mind can take any exception to the contents of the statement. Pakistan, despite what has happened, wants good relations with Afghanistan and rightly feels that terrorism poses a threat to regional security and needs joint solutions to counter it.

It is indeed very regrettable that the Taliban government in Kabul, being aware of the presence of TTP on its soil and their attacks across the border in Pakistan, is not pushed to fulfill its interna­tional obligations not to allow any terrorist group to use Afghan soil for attacks against any oth­er country. It was part of the deal with the US as well. There are also a number of international conven­tions on the subject. The unabat­ed continuation of these attacks is surely putting a lot of strain on bi­lateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The latest inci­dent has further exacerbated the situation in this regard.

It is worth noting that Pakistan’s special representative for Afghan­istan, Asif Durrani, in an interview with a media outlet last November, said, “Around 6,000-6,500 TTP terrorists were in Afghanistan. They are controlled by the Taliban and are allowed to cross the Paki­stan border for sabotage activities in Pakistan. Taliban and TTP are two sides of the same coin.”

It is pertinent to mention that the Amir of the Taliban had issued a decree against these attacks and the participation of Afghan na­tionals in them a few months ago. But despite this, there has been an unusual increase in the execu­tion of terrorist attacks on securi­ty and law enforcement agencies in Pakistan. The question is: If the Taliban government really want­ed to halt these attacks, then why did they not take action against TTP for defying the decree of the Taliban Amir? Regrettably, the ground realities suggest a tacit connivance between the Taliban government and TTP. Why the Taliban government in Afghani­stan is oblivious to its internation­al obligations and clandestinely trying to foment instability in Pak­istan is mind-boggling indeed.

Pakistan is the country that supported the Taliban in their fight against the Northern Alli­ance, extended recognition to their government along with Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Malik Muhammad Ashraf
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com