Security forces killed five terrorists and destroyed their hideouts and recovered heavy weapons and ammunition from there in the latest operation in Mashkai area of Awaran district of Balochistan. Three terrorists were killed and their remaining weapons and ammunition were captured while thwarting an infiltration attempt at in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A soldier of the Pakistan Army, Abdul Rauf, was martyred during the firing of terrorists from within Afghanistan on the Pakistani post in Spinwam area of North Waziristan. There was a full response by the security forces.  The statistics revealed at the end of 2023 indicate that during the year, Pakistani security forces killed 566 terrorists in a total of 18,736 operations and arrested 5,161. Among them, 109 terrorists were killed in 15,063 incidents in Balochistan, while 447 were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During the year, 190 terrorists were killed, 14 in Gilgit-Baltistan, while 10 were killed in Sindh. These actions of the security agencies are saddened by the situation that the outlawed TTP and its followers want to impose in Pakistan and the region. They will not get anything except heavy loss of life and money and disgrace, however, Pakistan is continuously convincing the Afghan Taliban government to ensure effective border management from its side. The claims have been proven. They should keep their promises not to use their soil against Pakistan while realizing the centuries-old bilateral brotherly relations between the two countries. In the context of the growing tension in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, it is certainly a promising news that the senior leader of the Afghan Taliban and the governor of Kandahar province, Mullah Shireen Akhond, will visit Islamabad in the next few days for talks to improve the situation.   It is a clear fact that the two brotherly Muslim countries are not only bound by faith but also by deep historical, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, economic and geographical ties.  In the past four decades, Afghanistan faced severe problems as a result of the demilitarization of the world powers twice, the Pakistani nation helped the Afghan brothers in all possible ways to get rid of them.

Especially due to the ravages of these terrible wars, millions of Afghan families who left their homeland and came to Pakistan were warmly welcomed by the people and governments of every part of the country and most of them actually enjoyed the same facilities as the citizens of Pakistan.  However, due to the support of the United Nations for the NATO-American invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11, the Islamabad government at that time had to cooperate with the United States in various forms in this war, due to which Pakistan also supported the Afghan movement on a large scale.  It was heavily targeted by terrorism from local supporters of the resistance, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and several other militant groups. However, the war that lasted for twenty years in Afghanistan was ended by negotiations between Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan and the US government, in which Pakistan's role was of key importance in making it possible.  As a result of these negotiations, US forces withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban government was established in the country in the form of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in August 2021.

After that, it was expected that the use of Afghan territory for terrorism against Pakistan would be stpped and this practice will be completely closed, but despite the continuous assurances of the Afghan government, this did not happen, due to which a negative impression was created on the government and public level in Pakistan,  Due to this, a negative impression was established at the government and public level in Pakistan, while the current caretaker government ordered all 1.7 million Afghans living illegally in Pakistan to leave the country within thirty days, which seems to be an urgent and It was an impractical decision and time also proved this impression correct, after which the process of immediate return of Afghans practically stopped, but as a result of this, misunderstandings were born at the government and public level in Afghanistan on the one hand and Pakistan on the other. TTP's terrorist activities within the country witnessed a significant increase and led to negative reactions against Afghanistan at all levels.  It is obvious that the continuation of this situation is not in favor of any of the two countries.  Amicable mutual relations are an essential requirement of both countries, so it is very welcome that both sides have decided to take the way to settle matters through understanding and Mullah Shireen Akhund, a prominent leader in the current Afghan leadership. So that a new attempt can be made to end the stalemate in bilateral relations on the issue of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).  According to sources, Maulana Fazlur Rehman was also invited by the Afghan government to the capital Kabul for the same purpose. It has been reported that Mullah Shireen Akhund will also meet with intelligence and foreign office officials in Islamabad.

It is hoped that this development will become a means of complete resolution of the use of Afghan land against Pakistan and the relations between the two brotherly Muslim countries will imrpove and will overcome new heights. It may be mentioned here that in recent months attempts were being made by some anti-Pakistan forces and elements to misrepresent the deportation operation started after the eviction period given by the government to the foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan had expired.  It is impossible to deny the urgent need to exercise caution in the chapter. Although, according to the Federal Interior Minister, the illegal residents were being deported in a dignified manner, yet it was necessary to repeatedly make it clear to the concerned officers that the instructions of the Caretaker Prime Minister should be fully observed.  In this regard, there were some news that indicated some plans to sabotage the operation.

The operation was for the evacuation of all foreigners who came to Pakistan illegally without discrimination, it had nothing to do with the immigrants of any country.

It is a different thing that those who came to Pakistan the number of Afghan immigrants is huge.  It has also been said that the people who are being deported would like to go to their country and come to Pakistan again with legal documents for trade, tourism and employment etc. then according to the legal method they can get permission for this but the documents are not valid.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 03 2024

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