Standing together

Militancy can only be effectively if Pakistan and Afghanistan cooperate fully in the matter.

Pakistan has now made it very clear it is ready to work against all militant organisations based in its country, including the Haqqani network against which Afghanistan has been demanding action for years. This stance taken by both the prime minister and the army chief is of course good news, but it must be reciprocated. Pakistan has been demanding of Kabul that the current TTP chief, Mullah Fazlullah, who remains in Afghanistan, be returned across the border. This of course is essential to Pakistan given that Fazlullah leads the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and is responsible for a series of heinous crimes. Also, demands can of course not be one way entities. If Kabul wants its demands met, it must play ball and respond to those made by Pakistan.



We can only hope this process will now begin. What is very positive news is that our military and civilian leadership have both made it clear they see all terrorists in the same light and are willing to act against each of them without any discrimination. The old tags of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban seems to have been abandoned and that seems to be a very welcome development. This has been made very clear by the Director General ISPR, Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, in his briefing. From here, we hope things can move forward. But this is possible only if the talk of cooperation by both sides is turned into deeds. Kabul could take an important first step by handing back Fazlullah. The road would then be clear for a true bid to be made to clear out the militant threat that is handicapping us in so many ways at the present time.

Cooperating with Kabul is vital for this. Both countries have made important headway in this respect over the past weeks. We hope these will materialise and solidify further. Dealing with militancy effectively would be a huge victory for everyone in the region, and it can happen only if Pakistan and Afghanistan cooperate fully in the matter. Their failure to do so in the past in fact helped militancy prosper with the terrorists able to flit back and forth across the border without running into any peril given the animosity between the two countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2014.

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