THE banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its splinter group Jamat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) continue to target Pakistan from their bases in Afghanistan, according to a new UN report on the activities of the terrorist groups from around the world. It says the leadership of TTP is also operating from Afghanistan, including Noor Wali Mehsud, supported by his deputy, Qari Amjad and TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani, claiming responsibility for various high-profile attacks in Pakistan and has facilitated others by JuA and Lashkar-e-Islam.
The world body has done well by acknowledging presence of TTP on Afghan soil and its anti-Pakistan activities from safe havens there. However, in view of a surge in terrorist activities by the banned outfit against Pakistani people and law-enforcing agencies, mere reporting would not suffice and diplomatic efforts need to be accelerated to put pressure on Afghanistan and occupation forces there to take firm action against the terrorist organization. Pakistan has long been lodging protest with Afghanistan on the issue and there have been numerous high profile visits to that country to apprise the Afghan leadership of the activities of TTP but so far no tangible action has been taken. There is more focus on terrorists that allegedly operate from Pakistan (against Afghan and other interests) than terrorists freely operating from Afghan provinces bordering Pakistan and carrying out frequent terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The terrorists are well trained, armed, financed and organized and, therefore, there are legitimate doubts about their linkages with local and other powers and their common objective seems to cause harm on Pakistan in different ways. Presence of up to 6,500 militants of TTP and JuA in Afghanistan is an issue that deserves serious and urgent attention by the UN and other world powers as they undermine Pakistan’s successes in the war against terror with serious implications for the entire region.
