Terrorist groups present on the territory of Afghanistan are a major threat to regional security, especially to Pakistan. Among these groups, the TTP, among others, is constantly engaged in terrorist activities in the border areas of Pakistan. The United States has also expressed its concern over this situation.

 Speaking at an American think-tank in recent days, Thompson West, the American representative of Afghan affairs, has said that the TTP is a threat to regional peace and security. He further said that there is a strong relationship between TTP and Afghan Taliban.

US Representative Thompson West said that TTP attacks have increased in Pakistan. This is a fact that cannot be denied. This fact has been claimed by Pakistan for a long time. And the Afghan Interim Government is constantly denying this claim and fact which is very surprising.  This statement of the American Special Envoy is a clear acknowledgment of the truth of this claim of Pakistan. The US Special Envoy's statement about the TTP should be eye-opening and saddening for the Afghan government, which has been continuously denying Pakistan's claim. Thomas West has tried to draw the attention of the whole world by expressing his apprehension that TTP is a major threat to regional peace and stability and especially to Pakistan, where TTP's nefarious activities have increased significantly. There is no denying the fact that the victory of the Taliban and the formation of a government in Afghanistan not only gave the TTP a boost but also strengthened it.  Today, some areas of Afghanistan are strong and safe havens for the TTP. TTP terrorists come from Afghan soil and carry out terrorist activities in Pakistani areas.

It is also an open fact that in these attacks and terrorist activities, many terrorists die at the hands of Pakistani security forces and some escape back to Afghanistan. The presence of terrorist organizations like TTP in Afghanistan is a matter of concern for the Afghan Interim Government itself. Instead of trying to hide this fact, the Afghan government should take action against the TTP, which is causing disrepute for the current Afghan government.

In this way, the action against the TTP will give a good name to the Afghan Interim Government and help in the recognition of Afghanistan as a responsible state. And this is the time to understand and accept that concrete and practical action should be taken against TTP and other terrorist organizations that are present in Afghanistan.

On the other hand, the revival of such terrorist groups is a big threat to Afghanistan itself. Because these groups obstruct the way of peace, stability and development in Afghanistan, the Afghan government itself is watching this situation with anxiety.

The Afghan Interim Government should understand that the terrorist groups currently present in Afghanistan can cause serious danger and damage to the Afghan government and Afghanistan in the future. The Afghan Interim Government should also understand and recognize that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are brother countries and neighbors. Pakistan has always helped the Afghan brothers. Pakistan has not only given shelter to millions of Afghan brothers and sisters, but has also given them hospitality which continues even today.  But it is a matter of great sadness for Pakistan that the Afghan government has not taken any effective action against TTP so far.

The Afghan Interim Government is failing to live up to its "Doha Agreement" pledge that Afghan soil will not be used for terrorism against any other country. There can be no doubt that the security interests of the two countries, like the interests of the environment and development, are also intertwined and are very important for the peace and stability of both the countries. Instead of denial, the Afghan Interim Government should cooperate with the border states to jointly fight and weaken TTP etc.

One can hope the Taliban Government will consider this and take stern action the TTP, which has regrouped itself after the Taliban Government was form in Afghanistan.

Afghan Government should abide by Doha Agreement, which says Taliban would not allow their territory to be used for the promotion of terrorism in other countries, but the recent report of the United Nations clearly and openly wrote that 20 terrorist groups are roaming freely in Afghanistan under the supervision of the Taliban government, and the TTP is the closest group to them. 

They consider TTP as their indispensable part of their ideology, which makes it clear that TTP are being nurtured by the Afghan Taliban and they share same ideology. It also shows that there is either a contradiction between the ideological Taliban sitting in Kandahar and the leadership sitting in Kabul, or both are doing it under a well-thought-out plan.  On the other hand, the Taliban are saying that the Doha agreement is related to the United States and Afghanistan, the rest of the countries have nothing to do with it, and that the current terrorist attacks in Pakistan are an internal matter of Pakistan. This position of the Afghan government is actually a cover-up of the facts.  According to the Doha agreement, the territory of Afghanistan should not be used for terrorism in any country. The Afghan government is encouraging terrorism in the region by providing safe havens to terrorist elements and increasing the supply of modern weapons. This will lead to the same situation in the region that emerged after 9/11. To deal with this situation, China, Pakistan and Iran must jointly adopt a far-reaching and viable strategy against terrorism so that civil war does not spread in the region and the soil of Afghanistan is not used for terrorism. The continuation of the recent wave of terrorism in Pakistan is connected with the arrival of the Taliban government in Afghanistan.  It should be remembered that in 2016, terrorists were wiped out in Pakistani areas through a military operation, but then a military official supported by Imran negotiated with the TTP and the Taliban in Afghanistan, and it was decided in these negotiations that those TTP terrorists who are involved in terrorism in the KP will be given pardon.  And thus, around two thousand fighters were resettled in the tribal areas. They also received modern weapons left by the American army, with which they reorganized and regrouped in the KP. These terrorists then settled in the tribal areas under this agreement, but their leadership is still present in Afghanistan and are using the Afghan soil for terrorist activities in Pakistan.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 19 2023

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