Hardly a day passes without a tragedy caused by terrorist attacks in Balochistan and KP indicating an unacceptable hike in foreign-sponsored terrorism and this should be a cause for concern for the entire nation.
According to security officials, at least 11 Pak Army soldiers were martyred in a clash with militants near the border with Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the security forces have eliminated 30 Indian-sponsored Khawarij in an intelligence based operation (IBO) in Orakzai district. The killed ter-rorists were involved in the encounter in which Lt Col Junaid and Maj Tayyab Rahat along with nine soldiers were martyred. And a night assault carried out by terrorists on a police training centre in Dera Ismail Khan was thwarted on Friday when retaliatory fire by the officers inside killed at least three of them, including a suicide bomber.
Terrorism has become the biggest challenge for peace and security of the country and its desire to accelerate the pace of economic development as law and order issue is discouraging investment. The unusual hike in terrorism is also an indication of the challenges faced by the law-enforcing agencies which are performing their sacred duty at the cost of their own lives. It is an established fact that the law-enforcing agencies of the country have the necessary capability to wipe out the menace but two clear dimensions are complicating the issue – foreign patronage to terrorist outfits and lack of cooperation and coordination at home due to political and vested interests.
Evidence proves in-volvement of Afghanistan-based TTP elements in almost every terrorist attack in KP while India is sponsoring banned militant outfits in Balochistan. Pakistan has taken up the issue of terrorist enjoying safe havens in Afghanistan with the Taliban Government but instead of taking action against them as per their original commitment of not allowing the use of Afghan soil against any other country, Taliban seem to be considering TLP as an asset and use the issue to blackmail Pakistan. As Kabul persists in non-cooperation, Pakistan is left with no option but to target terrorists hide-outs wherever they are. In this backdrop, the hue and cry of Kabul over reported airstrikes of Pakistan against terrorist dens in Afghanistan carries no weight.
The Taliban Government accused Pakistan on Friday of carrying out airstrikes on its territory and warned of “consequences”. It blamed Pakistan for airstrikes in Kabul, the capital, late on Thursday and in the eastern province of Paktika around midnight. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson did not confirm or deny reports about airstrikes but reiterated firm commitment of the country to the security and well-being of its people. He pointed out that Pakistan respects the sovereignty of Afghanistan and remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering dialogue and cooperation with its neighbour to address the shared challenges of terrorism, adding “Pakistan has consistently prioritized diplomacy, even in the face of persistent threats emanating from terrorist hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan”. Afghanistan should realize that groups like TTP represent a common threat to the peace and stability of our region, necessitating collective action to counter their malignant influence and it should extend similar cooperation as did Pakistan to decimate terrorist entities posing threats to Afghanistan. As for internal dynamics of the problem, some political parties in Pakistan, instead of adopting a clear-cut stand against entities engaged in killings and sabotage, are exploiting the issue for political gains.
Similarly, the KP Government is not wholeheartedly supporting the efforts of the law-enforcing agencies aimed at restoring normalcy in the province. What a tragedy that instead of discharging its responsibilities of protecting lives and properties of the people, it is meddling into foreign affairs by declaring its intentions to conduct negotiations with Afghanistan on the issue of terrorism. It was because of this that Director-General, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt. General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary urged the KP Government to work on protecting the people of the province instead of “begging Afghanistan” for security. Incidentally, this ‘begging’ also means the KP Government too is convinced that the ongoing surge in terrorism has its roots in Afghanistan and that the Taliban Government was not cooperating.
This attitude is particularly worrisome in the backdrop of repeated claims by the Federal Government that the wrong policy of the then PTI Government to bring back terrorists to Pakistan is also to be blamed for resurgence in terrorism. Among other things, a focus on Pakistan first can help address the challenge to a great extent.
