In a latest development, the Pakistani Chargé d’Affaires (CdA) to Afghanistan Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani has resumed his responsibilities in Kabul, where he is back four months after an attempt on his life. But this does not mean that all is well between Pakistan and the Taliban Government in Afghanistan, where the terrorists and militants organizations have regrouped after the take-over of Kabul by Taliban in August 2021 and they are involved in cross border attacks in Pakistan.

There is no secret that Afghan soil is being used by terrorists’ groups against Pakistan and the number of attacks across the border in Pakistan from Afghanistan are the cases in point.

In January last, Afghan Govt spokesperson said that Daesh terrorists who were  responsible for the attack on the Pak embassy had been killed by Afghan security set up. This statement indicates that Daesha and other terrorist’s groups are present tin Afghanistan.

It may be mentioned here that Pakistan Govt had taken serious notice of the increasing cross border attacks in Pakistan from Afghan side and the rising activities of the IS-K and the Pakistani Taliban in Pakistan from across the Afghan soil and had warned the Afghan government to take stern action against the militants and terrorists to wipe them out, otherwise Pakistan will be justified in taking action against the terrorists in Afghanistan within Afghanistan. The message was delivered by a high-level delegation which was led by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif to Afghanistan’s acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar during a visit to Afghanistan two months ago.

The Defense Minister had clearly warned the Afghan counterpart that in case of failure to stop the terrorists from cross-border attacks using Afghan soil, Pakistan will itself spring into action to eliminate them and their hideouts within Afghanistan.

Last year saw a 27 per cent increase in terrorists acts in Pakistan while the Police Civil Lines attack in Peshawar was the most dreaded one. The first month of the ongoing year i.e. January recorded the record number of terrorists acts in the country in which 134 people lost lies while hundreds were injured in over one hundred and forty terrorists’ incidents.  Most of the attacks were claimed by TTP and IS-Khurasan Chapters which have regrouped after the Taliban Govt in Afghanistan.

The mastermind of Peshawar mosque attack in 2021 was reportedly a member of the outlawed TTP, but had later left the TTP and switched over to the IS-K. In March last year, as many as three militants of the IS-Khorasan chapter were killed in an exchange of fire with the security personnel during an Intelligence Based Operation in Jamrud District of KPK. They had come from Afghanistan. As a matter of fact, these terrorists infiltrate into to Pakistan through Afghan border under the disguise of Afghan refugees and according to a recent report by the UN, the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan which comprises up to 5,000 militant fighters is present in Afghanistan. This was disclosed in a report, sent to the UN Security Council, and it had also warned that after the takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban, the Afghan soil can become a safe haven for terrorists groups like the Al Qaeda , the IS, etc.

The security situation in Pakistan has seriously deteriorated after the regrouping of TTP and another militant organization after the Taliban Govt in Afghanistan and  become so alarming that traders and professional have started leaving the country, shifting to either abroad due to prevailing sense of insecurity. Had the Afghan government taken timely action against the terrorists, situation would not have worsened to such an extent in Pakistan. The situation on the border has also become tense and in December last border clashes occurred despite an early apology from the Taliban Government in Afghanistan. In one such attack, terrorists attacked on the Pak team which was busy in repairing the border fence.

The cross border attacks in Pakistan are a common case from Afghan soil during the last two years. Dozens of persons were killed in an unprovoked cross-border shelling from the Afghan side. The Afghan side had also tendered an apology on such incidents last year but despite that assurance the incidents of cross border shelling into Chaman are occurring. In one such incident, the Afghan Taliban men  resorted to mortar shells and artillery attack in Chaman from across the Afghan border in which civilian casualties occurred. Besides, the incidents of mortar shell explosion have also taken place close to a Frontier Corps check-post. The border village of Killi Bacha was also targeted by Afghan forces, killing as many as seven persons in a mortar shell attack in the Reg area, west of Chaman border.

In the wake of continuing law and order situation in the KP province and the increasing incident of terrorism and militancy in the country, the security experts consisting of academics, journalist, retired military officials and also the ex-diplomats call for review of Afghan policy.

They were addressing a consultation talk on “Afghan peace and reconciliation; Pakistan’s interests and policy options”. The consultation talk was held by Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), which is an Islamabad-based think-tank.

This think-tank, while sounding alarm over the  new wave of terrorism across the country  as the militants outfits have become active in the country and are striking at will now. An all-out and comprehensive operation should be launched against terrorist outfits as elimination of militancy and terrorism, their supporters, and facilitators should be the top priority of our government.

The terrorists are still active and resort to carrying out attacks in KP and Balochistan from time to time. On the average, three to four attacks took place in Pakistan every month which indicates that militants are still very much active. The killing of the most-wanted Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike last year in Afghanistan, proves the presence of terrorists groups like the IS, the Al-Qaeda and other militants groups, who have not only regrouped themselves after the Taliban take-over in Afghanistan but are also involved in terrorists activities across the border in Pakistan.

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 19 2023

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