With the spike in terror strikes by the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and some other militant groups in various regions of Pakistan over the past few months, Islamabad has begun throwing tantrums at Afghanistan for not taking any action to rein in these groups “operating” from its soil. Some Pakistan officials even went to the extent of accusing the Taliban of sponsoring these terror outfits including TTP.
Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar reportedly said on Wednesday that there has been an increase in terror incidents in Pakistan since the Taliban came to power in 2021. He blamed TTP for carrying out attacks in Pakistan using Afghan soil. Kakar said that the Taliban had assured Islamabad of strong action against Pakistan-opposing groups especially TTP, but they did not do so, as a result of which there has been a 60 pc increase in terror incidents and 500 pc rise in suicide attacks in Pakistan.
The Pakistan PM’s statement should be seen as Islamabad’s bid to shift the blame on Afghan migrants for growing terrorism in the country. There is no doubt that Afghanistan under the Taliban continues to be a breeding place for terrorists, but at the same time Pakistan is also responsible for growing terrorism in the region. It is also equally responsible for the fact that terrorist activities continue to increase, posing a security challenge in the region. Islamabad cannot play a victim card just by blaming the Taliban rulers for promoting and sponsoring terror organisations like TTP.
Pakistan also played an active role in the creation of the Taliban in the 1990s. It again helped in Taliban’s resurgence in 2021. Pakistan was the only country to have backed the return of the Taliban in Kabul. Then Islamabad even was on campaign mode to seek recognition for the Taliban regime from the international community.
Pakistan always closed eyes to the facts that India brought to the notice of the global community regarding the terror outfits enjoying safe haven on Afghan soil. Pakistani leadership always turned a blind eye to the monitoring reports released by the United Nations in which it was categorically said that the centres of TTP and other terror organisations are active in Afghanistan after Taliban came to power.
Now, Kakar is referring to the same UN report released in July this year claiming that it had mentioned that TTC centres in Afghanistan are increasing activities against Pakistan. What happened now? Pakistan is now pinning blame on Kabul for all the terror attacks on its soil when the elements whom it continued to support for over two decades are coming back to bite it! With these facts in the backdrop, no responsible country of the global community is perhaps going to buy the Pakistan premier’s arguments and pleas.
Another fact that Pakistan is seeking to divert attention from is that Islamabad still continues to train terrorists to infiltrate its neighbouring countries including India. While the global community must mount pressure on Afghanistan to root out terrorists from its soil, Pakistan must also take concrete and credible steps to curb terrorism from the territories under its control. While suppressing its failures in controlling terror groups on its soil, Pakistan is choosing to shift the blame onto Afghanistan for growing terror activities.
The world is aware how Pakistan used state-sponsored terrorism against and supported radical elements in Eurasia. After 2002, Pakistan helped the Taliban against the US-backed government in Afghanistan which was closely aligned with New Delhi. That’s not all.
Pakistan’s security establishment, army and the government helped the Taliban with human resources and donations through religious groups. According to a report, Pakistan had sent thousands of terrorists to help the Taliban to consolidate their position strategically against India in the region. While complaining about TTP for terror strikes, Pakistan continued to allow some terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) to operate freely. Some evidence based reports say that several Afghans who joined the Taliban had received madrasa education in Pakistan. According to intelligence reports, several terrorists who were with LeT and JeM are said to be with TTP now.
Significantly, Pakistan was the last country to break diplomatic ties with the Taliban after the US invaded Afghanistan post the 9/11 terror attacks. Pakistan was one of the only three countries to have recognized the Taliban even as they first came to power. Pakistan’s record as an irresponsible nation on the issue of terrorism has emboldened the Taliban regime to launch a verbal attack against it.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reportedly said on November 8 that Pakistan should stop blaming Afghanistan for its own failures. Mujahid claimed that Afghanistan ‘does not allow anyone to use the territory of Afghanistan against Pakistan’ and that it wants ‘peace in Pakistan’ just as it wants peace in Afghanistan.
There have been numerous instances of terror groups taking advantage of terrorist havens inside Pakistan and the porous border between the two countries. Interestingly, the spokesperson asked Pakistan to solve ‘internal problems’ on its own and ‘not blame Afghanistan for their failures’.