Islamabad based think-tank Centre for Research and Security Studies, in its report released recently, has indicated that there would be terrorist attacks in 2023 in Pakistan. This is mainly attributed to Tehreek-e-Taliban’s (TTP) unfettered access within certain provinces in Pakistan, a legitimacy gained by TTP during its failed negotiations with Pakistan government. During 2022, a new wave of terrorism engulfed Pakistan which has its roots in Taliban’s Afghanistan. It had taken the lives of at least 282 members of the security forces. Out of that 40 were killed only in December. Most of the incidents happened in areas adjoining the Afghan border. The total number of people killed in these attacks is 973, and most of them are civilians.
After the establishment of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, Pakistan had around 420 terrorist attacks. TTP has accepted responsibility for 141 attacks during the last three months. TTP has safe havens across the border. It is a known fact that there is a tacit support from Taliban government in nurturing the terrorists of TTP. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan will remain a target of the terrorists as long as the Afghan government protects the TTP. Pakistan has helped Afghanistan at every step and is still striving for its recognition in the world but in-return has not received anything from Taliban. Earlier before Taliban’s rule, it was easy for the ruling establishment of Pakistan to put the blame for the terror attacks on India and its nexus with erst-while Afghan government. This is not the case now, atleast for last 1 year. If the terror attacks still continues and with increased frequency, it shows the inefficiency of the ruling establishment and Pakistan Army in containing the banned TTP.
In a recent statement, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah mentioned that the government would be targeting the hideouts of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in Afghanistan. the spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid says that no one will be allowed to attack Afghanistan. Afghanistan wants good relations with Pakistan, and Pakistani officials should be careful while talking. Mujahid added that no country has the right to attack another country’s territory, no law in the world allows such aggression. If anyone has any problems, they should talk to the Islamic Emirate. Our security forces can take action. Further, in a statement issued by the Afghan Ministry of Defense, it is said that the statement of the Pakistani authorities is baseless and provocative, any problem or dispute should be resolved through dialogue/under the agreements. Ultimately there would not be any decisive action against TTP from either Pakistan or Afghanistan.
