Rightful retaliation

The salvo that Pakistan flew inside Afghanistan was highly desired. The intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations were in retaliation to misdeeds of dreaded elements who had carried out the Saturday ambush in North Waziristan on Pakistan security forces. The airstrikes were also a reminder that Kabul had not been able to keep its promise of acting against non-state actors holed inside Afghanistan, as they are at impunity to roll over into Pakistan’s territory. The PAF conducted sorties reportedly targeting TTP and its Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group in the provinces of Paktika and Khost. The precision attack resulted in the killing of more than eight terrorists in the rugged mountain along the Pakistan border.

Kabul, nonetheless, is repulsive and is making an issue out of it, claiming civilian casualties at its end. A spokesperson went on to warn Islamabad of the consequences, and pointed out that “Pakistan should not blame Afghanistan for problems and failure to control violent incidents.” This stance is irrational, to say the least. The Taliban 2.0 dispensation cannot absolve itself of the responsibility to ensure serenity by taking out terror outfits that are at large in Afghanistan. The fact that the TTP had claimed responsibility for the Mir Ali attack, and other such incidents in Pakistan, comes as a charge-sheet against Kabul. There is no point in browbeating the sovereignty mantra, as collective security of the region is a liability to dispense by all, and Kabul cannot dig out exceptions in it.

Pakistan has a serious cross-border infiltration problem with all of its immediate neighbours. Apart from the eastern front with India, with which it has been involved since inception, the western frontiers are coming to a toll. The recent skirmishes with Iran also came to test the cordiality of the relations with Tehran. Now so is the deteriorating equation with Kabul. Pakistan cannot sit idle as it is made to bleed by non-state actors merely because of geopolitical considerations. Islamabad was well within its rights to retaliate, and it did without any regrets.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2024.

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