NationalVOLUME 19 ISSUE # 37

Terrorism and border security

A few weeks ago, 10 terrorists, allegedly from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of the Pakistani Taliban, martyred at least eight Pakistani security forces personnel in a daring attack on the Bannu cantonment in the southern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the state forces could neutralize them. The incident has heightened the likelihood of a new offensive in Bannu and surrounding districts of KP, including Lakki Marwat, D.I. Khan, and Tank, which have been the target of terrorist attacks by the TTP and other militant groups like the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, resulting in the martyrdom of numerous Pakistani security forces personnel.

Residents of these districts, along with those in North and South Waziristan and the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, have suffered tremendously due to terrorism and ensuing military operations. They fear that a new military offensive, already announced under the name Azm-e-Istihkam, would exacerbate their suffering. Consequently, tens of thousands of residents have started gathering in Bannu to demand peace and an end to military offensives.

A critical aspect of the new wave of terrorism is that all these Pakistani terrorist groups are based in Afghanistan, not in isolation but with the full support of the Afghan Taliban administration. Since coming to power in August 2021, the Afghan Taliban have increasingly adopted an anti-Pakistan stance, evident from their support for the TTP and other terrorist groups carrying out attacks with impunity in Pakistan, particularly in the KP province. As a result, Pakistan has officially lodged another protest with the Afghan Taliban administration by summoning its charge d’affaires at the Afghan Embassy to the Pakistan Foreign Office.

Pakistan is not just blaming the Afghan Taliban administration for supporting the TTP. Recently, a United Nations (UN) report revealed that more than 6,000-7,000 Pakistani insurgents and militants have hideouts in Afghanistan, from where they attack Pakistani civilians and security forces personnel. This corroborates Islamabad’s longstanding position that Pakistani insurgents are harbored by elements inside Afghanistan. The UN report, prepared by the UN analytical and sanctions monitoring team that tracks terrorist groups worldwide, states that more than 6,000 Pakistani insurgents, most belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group, are attacking Pakistani military and civilian targets from Afghanistan. The total number of Pakistani foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, posing a threat to both countries, is estimated to be between 6,000 and 6,500, most of them affiliated with the TTP.

The most disturbing reality for Pakistan is the presence of militants in Afghanistan, particularly those linked to the TTP or Jamaat-al Ahrar. This is especially concerning as the country is now ruled by the Afghan Taliban, who were harbored for decades by Pakistan. In the past, other militant groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army, which took responsibility for many high-profile attacks in Sindh and Balochistan, killing several Pakistani military and police personnel, were also present in Afghanistan. A very dangerous revelation is that the TTP has linked up with the Afghan-based Daesh affiliate, with some of its members even joining the Daesh group, which has its headquarters in eastern Afghanistan.

In response to the UN report, the Afghan Taliban Administration (ATA) has consistently urged Pakistan to address its internal issues rather than blaming Kabul for terrorism by Pakistani Taliban groups. The ATA has also encouraged Pakistan to engage in talks with the TTP. In 2021, under Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan did hold talks with the terrorist groups, but the process was inconsequential. Now, Pakistan has decided not to engage in any further talks with the TTP, as the group, with ATA’s support, used the moratorium on operations during the talks to regroup and resurge. This implies that the attacks in Pakistan, many of which have been claimed by the TTP, are backed by Kabul. It is well-known that TTP commanders, including Fazlullah, have lived in safe havens inside Afghanistan, with strong indications that they received official patronage from Kabul. Unfortunately, the ATA has continued the anti-Pakistan policy of the previous Afghan regime under President Ashraf Ghani.

During President Ghani’s rule, there were reports in the international media that the Afghan National Directorate of Intelligence (NDS) nurtured IS, viewing it as a counterbalance to the Afghan Taliban and a means to create trouble inside Pakistan. However, this strategy is akin to playing with fire. Although the ATA does not patronize IS, as they are rivals, it has supported Pakistani Taliban groups to negotiate with IS in Afghanistan, using these groups against Pakistan. This situation is detrimental to the peace and stability of the region.

In November, caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar claimed that most of the recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan involved Afghan nationals. Consequently, there has been a call to repatriate three million Afghan refugees to their homeland on a priority basis. Unfortunately, this has not been achieved, despite a clear policy from Pakistani state institutions that these Afghan refugees have become both a significant economic burden and a grave security threat. Meanwhile, Pakistan has extended the stay of registered Afghan refugees until the end of the year. Additionally, Pakistan has successfully installed a fence along most of its 2,640-kilometer-long porous border with Afghanistan to control the movement of insurgents and terrorists. However, Kabul has opposed the fencing, and ATA officials have been found uprooting the fence, leading to border clashes between the two countries.

This situation is perplexing. If Pakistan and Afghanistan are two sovereign states, there must be a regulated border with controlled entry and exit points, as no sensible country would allow the free flow of people and goods across its borders. Therefore, it is suggested that, in addition to the existing fence, another fence inside Pakistani territory be erected, all Afghan refugees be repatriated immediately, and the residents of KP and Balochistan provinces be fully informed and involved in any plans for military operations.

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