Speaking to Voice of America recently about this new initiative, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan was even ready to implement it. Crossing the border The attack is aimed at eliminating militant hideouts in Afghanistan, but the move could provoke retaliatory action from the Taliban regime.
Pressure from China
Since the Taliban regained power in Kabul following the US’s abrupt withdrawal from war-torn Pakistan in August 2021, the country has seen a surge in terrorism-related incidents.
In 2023, there were approximately 700 violent incidents in Pakistan, resulting in approximately 1,000 deaths and injuries.
Many of the incidents have occurred in the surrounding provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is of particular concern to the Pakistani government as it resulted in the deaths of many Chinese nationals working on projects linked to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The attacks, targeting Chinese facilities and personnel, highlight the stakes for China, Pakistan’s main ally, which has invested $62 billion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
China has strongly opposed the attack and issued a stern warning to Islamabad that it would reassess its investments and projects in the country if strict and effective measures were not taken.
Pakistan claims Kabul is harboring TTP leaders
Pakistan has repeatedly blamed the outlawed Pakistan Taliban (TTP) for most of the attacks, claiming it gave the terrorist group’s leaders a safe haven along the Afghan border.
The defence minister’s strong statement came on a day when JUI-F’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman warned of the perilous security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Leman claims the situation has deteriorated to the point where even police are unable to go out at night due to the presence of armed men. TTP The ceasefire with Pakistan ended in November 2022.
In an interview with Voice of America, Asif said Kabul was “exporting” terrorism to Pakistan and that attacking terrorist sites in Afghanistan would not violate international law because the “exporters” were harboring it in Pakistan.
He said the TTP operated from the neighbouring country but around a few thousand of its cadres “operate from within the country” and blamed the previous PTI government led by Imran Khan for the revival of militancy.
The minister also ruled out the possibility of dialogue with banned organisations, saying there was no common ground.
Talking about “Azmi Isteekam”, Asif said the Congress would also consider this and address the concerns of political parties.
Dawn reported that the minister, in separate remarks to a local news channel, said Islamabad would “strictly enforce international laws on the border with Afghanistan” to curb the movement of smuggled goods.
The media quoted the president as saying the decision would “also prevent terrorists from infiltrating.”
