Pakistan’s enigma, as it faces an uptick in terrorism, is owing to its failure to implement the National Action Plan. A spokesperson for the military yesterday pointed out that the gap in governance process in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, in particular, is responsible for the revulsion and its “cost is being paid by the blood of security forces”. The comments from the Director General ISPR came as there were reports of sorties being flown over Kabul to target TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud. The reports, not confirmed by the military leadership as well as Foreign Office, came a day after 11 armed forces personnel were gunned down in Kurram Agency, amidst an uptick in terror activities.
The causes behind the soaring terror activities, as listed by the military spokesperson, include non-implementation of NAP; politicisation the issue of terrorism; India’s hoodwinking in Afghanistan; and the US-abandoned modern weapons falling in the hands of non-state actors. This surely has bred a nexus between crime and terrorism, and stands multiplied with Taliban 2.0 looking the other way and not being able to act against the disgruntled elements holed up in Afghanistan. The DG ISPR rejected prescriptions from a political party that insists on entering into talks with these elements.
Afghanistan, being the epicenter of terrorism, poses a serious security risk to the entire region. The onus rests with Kabul to act against the TTP operatives, and the likes, who have been operating on both sides of the divide. That strata of terror not only goes unchecked inside Afghanistan but also enjoys the patronage of extra-territorial forces, especially India, with the apt strategy to push the region over the brink. The involvement of Fitna-Al-Khawarij i.e. Indian proxies in terror activities in the restive provinces of Balochistan and K-P is a case in point.
Pakistan has no choice but to go after the terrorists. At the same time, there is a need to exhaust the diplomatic opportunity by making it crystal clear to Kabul and other regional entities that broad-based cooperation in counterterrorism is the way to go.
