Terrorism centre must be eliminated
THE wave of terrorism is on the rise in the country once again and its border areas, in particular, are being targeted.
The tragic incident that took place in the Masjid of the historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar is also a link of external terrorism in which over sixty deaths were reported and dozens injured.
No terrorist group or organization has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies have speculated who may be behind such a brutal act.
A place of worship of a particular sect has been targeted in this terrorist attack that could be aimed at inciting people to protest and such acts could pollute the atmosphere of inter-Muslim unity.
After the U.S.withdrawal from Afghanistan, the hostile forces in Pakistan, who want chaos and terrorism in Pakistan, have had to leave their bases to a large extent.
The Pakistani government has also been trying to bring the furious people who have become tools of the anti-national forces back into the mainstream, the Pakistani government had agreed to a peace deal with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but this desire for peace was seen as a weakness of the state and these proceedings could not go any further after a month-long truce.
Since then, the Pakistani government has decided to crack down on anti-national elements.
The fact that contacts between the TTP and the Baloch militant groups have resurfaced since the Pakistani government’s tough decision has resulted in a resurgence of terrorist activities in the border areas of Pakistan.
An effective strategy to prevent such terrorist threats could be to eliminate the terrorists from where they are growing, for which the Afghan government would have to side with Pakistan.
At the same time, there is a moral obligation to support the Pakistani government because the Afghan Taliban, when came to power, vowed that Afghan soil would not be used against Pakistan but that Afghan soil is constantly being used for terrorist activities against Pakistan.
It is no secret that Pakistan has always supported the Afghan government in bringing peace to the region.
The Afghan government should also realize its responsibilities and if they do not realize this then the Pakistani government should convince them that while negotiations between Pakistan government and the TTP, Taliban government had promised to keep the outlawed TTP away from terrorist activities.
As they have become more reckless than in the past, we need to engage with the Afghan Taliban government on these issues and do more on our own.
The recent spate of terrorist incidents in the country has opened the floodgates of weak internal security initiatives with external interference.
Terrorism in Pakistan is driven by Indian patronage on the one hand and anti-national elements are being used on the other.
The government needs to take a close look at the circumstances behind these terrorist incidents and adopt a clear policy to improve security and curb external intrusion.
In order to do so, the government and security agencies must seriously consider whether the Taliban are being given the right to continue to target Pakistani soil and kill its citizens.
Is this the revenge of the diplomatic run of Afghanistan that Afghan soil is being used for terrorism in Pakistan?
In this regard, the Prime Minister has rightly said that we know where terrorism is coming from, however, it is not only necessary to know the origin of this centre of terrorism, but also to eliminate it with full force.
—The writer is a regular columnist, based in Lahore.
