TEHREEK-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) intensified its terrorist activities after Afghan Taliban established an interim government in Afghanistan in mid-August, 2021. The main objective of this intensified terrorist campaign against Pakistan was to force Government Pakistan to give them some concessions and areas for their own rule within the boundaries of Pakistan. Former FATA was the area; TTP has been looking forward for this type of set up in the first instance. Having achieved this concession they would have expanded their influence in other areas in a gradual process. Indeed, TTP is just a tool, planning to destabilize and insure Pakistan has been going for decades. Establishment of militant groups like; TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and similar other splinters groups was done in first decade of 21st, after US and NATO invaded Afghanistan. In the first two decades of 21st century, Pakistan was deliberately kept vulnerable from the perspective of security as well as economically. So much so, that US and NATO forces tried to exploit the Pakistani vulnerabilities many a time from 2004 to 2021. Nevertheless, Pakistani military remained alert against the nefarious designs of external forces and combated the well planned terrorism which was totally focused to gradually ruin Pakistan through direct and indirect strategies.
A realistic analysis of the post 9/11 happenings would reveal that, for the strategic interest of external powers, Pakistani geopolitics was used which caused maximum damage to state and society of Pakistan. Though Pakistani military combated the terrorism and terrorist yet, this left deep impact over the state and society of Pakistan. On its part, Pakistan supported and covered the draw-down of US and NATO forces in 2014/15 and later their withdrawal in August 2021. Indeed, Pakistan fought out the terrorism and combated terrorism for the greater cause of international and stability. Major Powers and international community on their part, did very little to compensate the losses, Pakistan suffered from 2001 to 2023. Pakistan brokered the deal between US and Taliban in February 2020. Nevertheless, Pakistan is the only country whose security situation has deteriorated after take-over of Afghanistan by Afghan Taliban, commonly known as Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) in August 2021. This is despite the fact that, Taliban take-over of Afghanistan was made possible because of hectic Pakistani efforts. The process of NATO and US pull-out and Taliban take-over was quite peaceful. Taliban did not face any resistance from any quarter within Afghanistan while they were taking over the war-torn state, two decades after expulsion of their regime. Even the former strong-hold of Northern Alliance ‘Mazâr-i-Sharîf’ fell to Taliban without any protracted fight. This indicates that grounds were prepared for Taliban by former invaders which made everything possible for them except overt financial support. Covertly the platform of UNHCR is being used by US for continued support of Afghan masses ever since August 2021. This means that, Taliban Regime has full backing of the west, despite it is not yet recognized by any state. This also means that former invaders are tracking their strategic objectives within and in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan while using Taliban as a covert tool. Russia and China alongside Pakistan were considered very close to Taliban, after their take-over of Kabul. Nevertheless, there came a mysterious silence and chill in their relationship with Taliban regime. Whereas, Pakistan provided huge humanitarian assistance to Taliban regime for the poor masses, others did very little considering Taliban still closer to their rival power. Russia-Ukraine war further complicated the Moscow-Kabul relationship while Beijing has its own priorities in the region as well as at the global level.
Owing to its traditional intimacy, religious affinity and social underpinnings, Pakistan is the only country which is still maintaining a closer link with Taliban regime. The attitude of the Taliban regime has been mostly arrogant and dictating towards the state and the Government of Pakistan. In late 2021 and early 2022, the Taliban soldiers, guarding the Afghan border repeatedly disrupted the process of security fencing, undertaken by Pak Army. Taliban soldiers removed the fence from a sizable portion, of Pak-Afghan border. It was not an incident or accidental event, rather a well-planned action, ordered by Taliban regime as Taliban defence ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarazmi issued a statement saying that, ‘Taliban forces stopped the Pakistani military from erecting an “illegal” border fence along the eastern province of Nangarhar’. Besides, there are repeated militant attacks from Afghan soil to Pakistani military posts and even civil population. Indeed, Afghan soil is more frequently used by militants and terrorists of TTP who attack Pakistani military and killed over 300 soldiers and officers since Taliban takeover of Kabul. Such types of reactions speak of offensive gestures from Taliban and direct threat from a group which has neither international recognition nor ability to survive independently for a long. Such aggression and militancy was not seen by legal and elected Governments of Hamid Karazai and Asharif Ghani. Rather, despite presence of TTP elements in Afghanistan under RAW and NDS, there were very few attacks on Pakistani border posts from 2017 to 2021. There have been continuous terrorist attacks on the Pakistani border posts, manned by its security forces along Pak-Afghan borders. There is unremitting phenomenon of terrorist attacks either by TTP elements or other terrorist groups living on Afghan soil on daily bases.
Despite continuous terrorism by TTP and other terrorist groups in Pakistan from Afghan soil, it must be remembered that, state and society of Pakistan will Not allow TTP to capture even an inch of Pakistani territory. The model of TTA cannot be replicated for TTP. Pakistan has an established Democratic Government with a unanimously agreed constitution. Besides, it has world’s most professional Military and dedicated masses who can defeat nefarious designs of any external power besides militant groups. Indeed, there is no place for militants and terrorists like TTP in any part of Pakistan. Rather, it will be better for TTP and all other terrorist groups to abandon their terrorist activities and surrender to state.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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