THE recent attack on Pakistan jointly conducted by the so-called Afghan forces and Indian-sponsored TTP reflects the gravity of emerging security threats.
Exercising the right of self-defence, the defence forces of Pakistan warded off the assaults decisively by inflicting heavy casualties on Taliban forces and their terrorist allies. Border attacks came once the Taliban Minister Muttaqi was on Indian soil with no good intentions about Pakistan. Let’s be clear that it was all orchestrated to appease New Delhi.
The Afghan Taliban’s obsession with anti-Pakistan elements was further exposed through subsequent venomous statements by Taliban officials. Zabihullah Mujahid’s claim of “full border control” is a blatant lie, as Afghanistan remains the region’s largest safe haven for transnational terror outfits. Despite repeated assurances, the interim Taliban regime has not acted against TTP and BLA terrorists operating from Afghan territory. Pakistan has repeatedly shared proofs of over 60 terror camps operating inside Afghan provinces bordering KP and Balochistan. Inaction on the part of Kabul is nothing but a tilt towards the terrorists.
Evidence disclosed that TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud resided in Kabul under regime protection with funding worth $43,000 per month. Pakistan has all the reasons to label it as state-backed terrorism. Afghan soil is once again being used by Indian intelligence and TTP has turned into a paid proxy for anti-Pakistan operations. The USD 7 billion worth of weapons left behind by NATO/US forces in Afghanistan are being used by TTP and BLA terrorists. The deadly inventory comprises M16 rifles, M4 carbines, night-vision devices and thermal optics. Pakistani security forces have killed over 207 Afghan-origin terrorists, identified by name and address, during encounters and infiltration attempts.
Pakistan’s restraint despite repeated provocations emphasizes its principle-based commitment to regional stability, even as Taliban provocations grow increasingly reckless. IAG’s rhetoric about “dialogue and mutual respect” rings hollow when it continues sheltering the very groups attacking Pakistani civilians and soldiers daily. The Taliban’s sustained harboring of anti-Pakistan terror outfits directly violates international law and UN Security Council resolutions on counterterrorism. By allowing its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan, IAG is not asserting sovereignty; it is inviting isolation and legitimizing global mistrust.
Afghanistan’s real challenge lies in the regime that suppresses women, curbs media and sponsors proxies. With such destructive moves, the Taliban cannot obtain global legitimacy and regional trust. Pakistan remains committed to peace, dialogue and a stable Afghanistan but cannot ignore fabricated accusations vis-à-vis cross-border terrorism. As usual, the Taliban are trying to shift the blame for their multiple failures onto Pakistan. The international community must recognize the reality of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan and hold the IAG accountable for its actions.
Pakistan will continue to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity without any compromise. Obviously, the Taliban regime is moving in the wrong direction, as evident from the ill-conceived Delhi tour of Muttaqi. The Modi-led BJP regime is at a self-styled war with Pakistan. BJP Ministers and senior Indian military officials are threatening to wipe Pakistan off the map. Muttaqi has chosen the wrong time to sit in the lap of BJP.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad.
