Countering terror
It is a good omen that Afghanistan and Pakistan are on the same page in countering terrorism. Reports confirm that serious talks are underway between the two governments to chalk out a roadmap for curbing the tendency of infiltration across the borders. It is also quite relieving for Pakistan that Kabul now officially admits that there are rogue elements who operate inside Pakistan, and then slip on to take refuge in Afghanistan. This aspect is in need of being curbed with kinetic strength, and at the same time efforts to comb down the entire bordering areas and plough out sleeper cells as well as net their abettors.
The renewed understating with Kabul has come after intelligence reports confirmed that there are elements on the loose, and conveniently escaped after terrorist acts in Pakistan. This led the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa authorities to carefully choreograph data that apparently led to the suicide bombing at a JUI-F political gathering on July 30, and another one which targeted a military convoy in Bajaur on August 9. Initial leads have led to mopping operations, and more details are being gathered. This exercise must solicit complete cooperation from the Afghan Taliban as the onus of eradicating terror from their soils rests on them.
Non-state actors, their patrons and sleeping cells are a common phenomenon now in the tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. The resolve to get them hits snags as they take refuge under ethnic and sectarian guise, and then go on to strike parallels with their compatriots on the other side of the divide. This necessitates institutional coordination in counter-terrorism drills, and a sophisticated mechanism at work to apprehend the wicked souls. Beefing up intelligence and winning over the people residing in desolate areas by ushering them with development and civic amenities of life is the way to go. It is not merely a security drawdown but also a political failure that has led to marginalisation of thoughts in these troublesome zones.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2023.
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