THERE was never an iota of doubt about the use of Afghan soil for carrying out terrorist activities against Pakistan yet statement of former Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gundapur on the issue assumes special significance as it comes in the backdrop of attempts to create confusion about a serious challenge to security of the country.
In an interview, he categorically stated that there were clear cut and well-documented facts establishing that Afghan soil is being used for terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country. Gandapur said that TTP is operating against Pakistan from Afghanistan with the knowledge and support of the Afghan government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan. The former CM deserves credit for his non-ambiguous statement, which carries weight as he was speaking on the basis of his personal knowledge and information he had access to as chief executive of the province. His assertion “being a former chief minister, I can confirm that both provincial and federal governments possess concrete evidence that TTP is operating from Afghanistan for terrorism inside Pakistan, particularly in KP” means some people are making deliberate attempts to create confusion on the issue for sake of political point-scoring. What he said also highlights internal contradictions within the PTI on the issue of terrorism and its support by existing regime in Kabul.
It may be pointed out that a few days back, the incumbent Chief Minister of KP Suhail Afridi made a highly controversial statement demanding that state should provide evidence for its claim that Afghanistan’s soil was being used for terrorism in Pakistan. Suhail Afridi is in office for three month but even if one assumes that he was not comprehensively briefed on different aspects of the menace of terrorism in his province, he must have intimate knowledge of the burning topic by virtue of being a leader from the turbulent province. This lends weight to the perception that he was deliberately trying to create confusion and question national narrative on the issue. This is also evident from statement of PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan who described terrorism as a “cancer,” saying that his party unequivocally considers the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan a terrorist organisation and must be dealt with under the National Action Plan (NAP). He went a step further in declaring “any group considered terrorist by the government and institutions is also terrorist in our view”, adding that organisations acting against Pakistan’s interests fall within the ambit of terrorism.
As the PTI is ruling the province, it must think inwardly and review its contradictory approach to the issue of security that has direct linkages with progress of the province and safety of life and property of its residents. Peaceful atmosphere is a pre-condition for success of efforts aimed at improving the lot of the people and carrying fruits of development to every nook and corner of the province. As for evidence regarding involvement of Taliban regime in sponsoring terrorists, Pakistan has repeatedly provided dossiers to important world capitals and the United Nations and Islamabad’s stand has been corroborated by several UN reports as well. Pakistan has also raised the issue many times at different levels with the Kabul administration directly and also through dialogue sponsored by Turkiye and Qatar. Therefore, there is no point in trying to politicise the issue when facts are known to people of KP from their own personal experience.
No attempt should be made to shield either TTP terrorists or their backers, who are shedding blood of innocent people on an almost daily basis. In the latest incident, four members of a local peace committee were martyred on Tuesday when gunmen ambushed their car in Bannu, a day after six policemen were martyred in a bomb attack in the neighbouring Tank district. Continuation of the incidents of terrorism is a challenge and instead of indulging in political gimmicks, the provincial government should lend an all-encompassing cooperation to the law enforcing agencies to root out the menace.
