Down, not out

The terrorist attack on the PAF housing colony in Badaber once again proved that the Taliban may be down but they certainly are not out. It should be quite clear to discerning minds by now that the war against terrorism is common to both Pakistan and Afghanistan. The two countries simply cannot fight and win the war unless they join forces. Rapprochement efforts made earlier between the two countries, it seems, were sabotaged and scuttled by forces that did not want the two countries to sincerely cooperate and defeat terrorism.
It is now very evident that whenever relations between the two countries are frosty the Taliban take advantage of the laxity on the border and launch attacks. The strained relations between the two countries are usually reflected in the lack of vigilance by the border authorities of both the countries. This realisation is critical to our survival. The two countries should work in unison. If the existential war against religious extremism is to be won, the two countries have to share intelligence, pool their resources and even form a joint force, if necessary, to overcome the overwhelming challenges they are faced with.
Akbar Jan Marwat
Islamabad