Terrorism in Pakistan has intensified

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan authorities are under growing stress. The relations are almost fragile in the wake of cross-border attacks and violent actions by Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Pakistan has been skeptical that Taliban is supporting TTP against Pakistan, while the Taliban assured Pakistan of having a cordial relation.

On December 11, at least eight Pakistani were killed in a border clash between Afghan and Pakistani border forces in Chaman.  On December 15, another Pakistani border guard was killed, reflecting an uptick in border tension that resulted in temporary closure of the crossing point. Several incidents have been triggered at all five border crossings between the two countries.

Some incidents have come in response to disputes over the border fence erected by Pakistan along much of the frontier. Pakistan strongly condemned these attacks, and tried to show relations with Afghanistan remain normal and stable. Pakistan, who supported the Taliban, has continued in global forums to call for greater international engagement with Taliban authorities and urge financial assistance for Afghanistan.

There were also some 60 meetings on commercial issues between the two countries since the Taliban seized power last year, and also trade has improved significantly. Despite the achievement there are many difficulties between the two neighbors.

Relations are not well at all

Last month, Pakistan expressed frustration and openly criticized the Taliban, showing a significant departure from the all-is-well public stance. This came while Mohammed Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, in the meeting of Moscow Format member states on Nov 16 in Russia, painted a gray picture of Afghanistan under Taliban control.

Presenting a “progress report” of 16 months of Taliban rule, he said the expectations of Pakistan and the international community had not been met on key issues. On political inclusivity, “there is little to show”; “the rights of women and girls also appear to have regressed”; and “the footprint of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan” had yet to be eradicated.

His remarks were an acknowledgment that Pakistan is no more happy with the Taliban’s ruling. Relations further chided when Pakistan’s ambassador and its diplomatic mission in Kabul came under attack, in which a security guard was seriously wounded and evacuated to Pakistan for treatment.

Complicated Bannu attack

Dozens TTP fighters, who stormed an office of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Bannu city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), seek safe exit to Afghanistan via airway. Despite the passage of more than 19 hours, the fighters still inside the CTD and one police officer have so far been confirmed dead in the gun battle.

In a video clip, the TTP fighters are demanding a safe airlift to Afghanistan from the Pakistani authorities, otherwise, they threaten to kill all the hostages and also go out to the Bannu city and kill anyone they found.  Internet services have been suspended in Bannu and the roads leading to and from the Bannu Cantonment have also been blocked.

Spokesperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Mohammad Ali Saif said that talks between Pakistani officials and the leadership of TTP are underway in Afghanistan.

Spokesman of the outlawed (TTP) claimed responsibility for the incident and said that its members had taken CTD staff and security officials hostage. He added that the militants — in a previous video statement — had demanded safe passage but “mistakenly mentioned Afghanistan”.

Meanwhile, three people, including a Pakistan Army soldier were killed while another person was injured as a result of a suicide blast near a security forces vehicle in Miranshah, North Waziristan.

“A suicide attack targeting security forces took place near the Tal bridge in North Waziristan. The terrorist attack on CTD in Bannu cantt is yet to end. Pakhtunkhwa is under attack and there is no sense of alarm and urgency in the mainstream about it,” Mohsin Dawar, a Member National Assembly said.

TTP – the core reason of contention

Taliban and TTP are good friends, and Taliban enjoys good relations with Pakistan as well. Taliban has been in doldrums as Pakistan wants Kabul to stop supporting TTP, a difficult decision as Taliban are thankful to TTP’s support in the fight against foreign forces in the past 20 years. Anyways, escalation in cross-border terror attacks by TTP continues to test relations between the Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan’s expectations that the Taliban’s return to power would enable Pakistan to secure its western border have not been met.

It got reversed as Pakistan’s security concerns have mounted with the spike in cross-border attacks by the TTP since the Taliban seized power in 2021. More than 140 Pakistani security personnel have been killed in these attacks in the past year or so.

TTP and Pakistan also failed to reach a ceasefire agreement mediated by Taliban, and despite Kabul’s insistence for resumption of the talks, Islamabad has been no longer interested in such talks which Islamabad see as an effort to only emboldened the group.

Mr. Khan again spoke

Blaming the coalition government for the terrorist attack in Bannu, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Monday said the “imported government” has failed to deal with cross-border attacks by “security forces of a “friendly” Afghan government”.

“Apart from running our economy to the ground, this imported govt. has failed to deal with the 50% increase in terrorism in Pak with incidents from Chaman to Swat to Lakki Marwat to Bannu; They have also failed to deal with attacks from the international Pak-Afghan border by security forces of a ‘friendly’ Afghan govt,” former Prime Minister Khan said.

Pakistan former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Khan said that while Pakistani soldiers, police and local people are giving daily sacrifices with their lives, the worst part is that this increasing terrorist threat and attacks from across Western border are finding no space in the discourse of this govt. of a “cabal of crooks.”

He went on to say that the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government is only interested in their NRO II and its preservation.

“Therefore, despite the economy tanking they are petrified of holding elections which is the only way to stabilize the economy through political stabilization,” he said renewing his demand for early elections.