SINCE the outlawed-outfit Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has gained ground in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) specifically in Swat wally and surrounding Districts, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) officially informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior over the deteriorative reality on Thursday.
According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, an Islamabad-based research organization, at least 65 attacks took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the end of October, killing at least 98 people and wounded 75.
The current situation in KPK is not similar to that of 2007 as hundreds of thousands have already opposed the resurge of militancy in the frontier Province specifically, and across the country generally. Behind-the-door talks are taking place since Tehrik-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) took over Kabul in August last year, but reaching no concrete output that can ensure peace in the region.
“Talks with the TTP began in 2021 and these negotiations have been taking place at the government level,” Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had confirmed media reports earlier in June, this year.
Since then, many ceasefires have been reached and brock while the long-term truce never agreed. The Minister had said TTA was mediating peace-talks between Pakistan and TTP but, in fact, Islamabad has to identify weather Taliban government in Kabul providing safe-haven to Pakistan’s enemies.
Islamabad also needs to hunt-down culprits behind recent attack on Pakistan Embassy in Kabul that resulted in sever injury to a security person while the attack was aimed at assassinating Head of Mission Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani. Later on, according to media reports, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility of carrying out the said targeted attack, that Foreign Office had said Pakistan was “verifying the veracity of reports”.
The US also reacted in Pakistan’s favor and warned Taliban government to make sure Afghan Soil is not use against Pakistan. The US is “deeply concerned by the attack on a foreign diplomat and we call for a full and transparent investigation,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Saturday.
In these circumstances Pakistan needs to do work on two major areas, in first Islamabad must accept new realities in Kabul and restrain self from interfering in Afghanistan’s Internal Affairs as such policy will have positive impact on Taliban Administration in Kabul for Pakistan’s core interests.
Second, Pakistan must draw a Red Line to the Kabul Administration that Afghan Soil never been used for cross-border infiltration and any sort of terror activity inside Pakistan must not take place that having push from Afghanistan.
An additional area that can potentially bring prolong peace on the both sides of border and in the region is addressing Kabul concerns over Durand Line. Pakistan should take this matter with Afghan Taliban and convince them to accept Pakistan’s geographical sovereignty. Since conflict on the Western border is not of extent what we have on the Line of Control (LoC) with India, but bilateral consensus is a must to reach over Durand Line.
Currently, Pakistan has direct confrontation with TTP that has ground presence in KPK. So, Islamabad must adopt both diplomacy (with Kabul) and ground hunting for bring all terrorists to justice as we must have nothing precious than peace and stability in our motherland and around the World.
Published in Daily Country News, December 10th, 2022.
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