Secure borders

Only in these first 11 days of July, one Pakistan Army major has been martyred, three soldiers and as many civilians critically injured, and three police officials and a Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel martyred in separate terror incidents. It will thus not be an exaggeration to say that the terror menace is back, a particularly alarming situation for a country that has over the years lost tens of thousands to militant attacks; many more have had to live with the sorrow and anger of losing their loved ones. The hope this time around though is that, since parliamentarians and the military have categorically stated that talking to terrorists only ends up strengthening them, helping them gain ground and organize more robustly, the state in its entirety has recognized the threat posed by a resurgent TTP. Just a few months back, the army’s top brass had also vowed to hunt down terrorists through a 'whole-of-the-system' approach to eradicate the permissive factors of terrorism, extremism and instability in the country.

One of the most important factors in the increased terror threat in the country is the TTP finding safe haven in Afghanistan. In this context, Pakistan has been pressing on the Afghan Taliban to tackle the TTP threat on their side of the border so that Pakistan can manage its counterterror strategies on its own soil more effectively. There has now also been acknowledgement on the part of the Pakistani authorities of the steps being taken by the Afghan Taliban regime to counter cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has called the Afghan government's relocation of TTP militants from border areas a significant development, saying that the Afghans had made efforts to address the terror concerns of Pakistan and its neighbours, including China, but that it is a bit premature to speculate further. The signs though are good. It is a fact that the new wave of terrorism that has gripped the country started soon after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. This was something security experts in Pakistan had been warning the previous Imran Khan-led government. Security observers had also warned that, while the Pakistan government may have wanted to give peace a chance, the TTP has consistently signalled its lack of interest in peace. Back then, these questions -- and more -- were asked but not answered by the PTI government. For example, if TTP members were being resettled, what were the terms and conditions of these negotiations? If the negotiations did not succeed in the end -- and that was what happened eventually -- would the state not have ceded enough space and time for the TTP to have regrouped and restrengthen?

It is thus much-needed encouraging news that the Afghan Taliban are taking steps to neutralize the TTP and moving the terror group away from the Afghan areas bordering Pakistan. Our government authorities have said that pockets of 'TTP, ETIM, and other groups' are a source of concern and that both Pakistan and China are hopeful that the Afghan government will take practical measures in this regard. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, if terrorism is to be truly eliminated, it is vital that the government follow through on all planks of the National Action Plan, from displaying zero-tolerance for extremism from any group to better harnessing our intelligence resources as a preventative measure. Winning on the battlefield alone will not be sufficient either. To prevent new militant threats from rising up, it is their divisive ideology which must be discredited. This is an uphill task, but it is not impossible. With an Afghan regime that does not dither from providing cooperation in counterterror strategies, and a Pakistani state willing to counter the entire terror threat, this battle can be won finally.