Fazl invited to Kabul amid rising tensions

Afghan Taliban announce arrest of 35 to 40 TTP operatives this year

ISLAMABAD:

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F), has been invited by the Afghan government to travel to Kabul in a bid to alleviate escalating tensions between the neighboring countries due to cross-border terrorist activities.

The formal invitation from the Afghan government was delivered to the JUI-F chief by the Afghan envoy, who met him in Islamabad on Saturday. Aslam Ghauri, a spokesperson for the JUI-F, informed The Express Tribune on Sunday that Maulana Fazl had accepted the invitation.

It is anticipated that the JUI-F chief will visit the neighboring country after submitting his nomination papers for the February 8 elections. Ghauri clarified that Fazl's visit was not associated with the Pakistani government, as the invitation came from the Afghan Taliban government.

Sources, however, suggest that this development is part of the Afghan Taliban's efforts to utilize the JUI-F chief's influence to ease tensions with Pakistan.
The ongoing tensions stem from repeated attacks inside Pakistan by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates from across the border.

Read Pak-Afghan relations — DI Khan attack and TTP

Following the December 12 terrorist attack in DI Khan that resulted in the martyrdom of 23 soldiers, Pakistan lodged a strong protest with Kabul. This incident marked the deadliest attack in a decade.

Considering potential strategies to address the heightened threat, Pakistan is contemplating cross-border air strikes. Against this backdrop, the invitation extended to the JUI-F chief by the Afghan Taliban appears as an attempt to avert an undesirable turn of events.

Several Afghan Taliban members, including government officials, have received education from seminaries managed by the JUI-F. Some analysts speculate that Pakistan might leverage the influence of the JUI-F chief to address the TTP issue. However, sources in the JUI-F indicate that a meeting with TTP representatives during Fazl's visit is not scheduled.

Read more  TTP, TTA and new round of proxy wars

Previously, the JUI-F chief visited Qatar to engage with Afghan Taliban leaders during US attempts to negotiate a peace deal. In a move to alleviate mounting pressure, the Afghan Taliban government claimed to have apprehended several TTP members.

According to the Afghan interior ministry spokesperson speaking to Tolo News, approximately 35 to 40 TTP members were arrested in the past year. The spokesperson emphasized the Afghan government's commitment to preventing the use of Afghan soil for anti-Pakistan activities.

There has been no immediate reaction to the Afghan government's statement. Pakistan has called for substantial and effective measures against the TTP, urging their extradition. However, it remains uncertain if the detained TTP militants will be handed over to Pakistan.

Some observers view the claims of arresting TTP operatives as an attempt by the Afghan Taliban to avert any adverse actions from Pakistan following recent terrorist attacks.