The bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan at the new low over the unchecked terrorist’s infiltration into Pakistan and attempting to construct a security post at the disputed land near the Torkham crossing point. Pakistan strongly reacted to both the incidents, pressing Kabul to keep its words, agreed in the Doha Peace Deal 2020.
As usual, the interim government of Afghanistan denied the allegations by repeating its stance that it was not allowing anyone to use its soil against other countries. But the reality is revealing the other side of the picture.
Pak Afghan border at Torkham point remained closed for nearly 9 days for all kinds of movements. The closure of the border worst hit traders and transporters as hundreds of goods carrying trucks and trawlers have been stranded on both sides of the border. The border crossing point was reopened following successful negotiations between the officials of the Taliban and Pakistan. According to the traders and Customs officials, the closure of the border cost an estimated 3 to 5 million dollars loss per day to the traders.
On September 6, hundreds of militants equipped with heavy weapons have reportedly crossed into Pakistan’s remote northern district of Chitral from Afghanistan’s Nuristan and Kunar provinces. Pakistani security forces had repulsed the cross border terrorist attacks, claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on them. According to the security forces, 4 soldiers have also lost their lives in fighting the terrorists.
Islamabad condemned the attacks and noted that it had informed Kabul of the movements of the armed attackers on the Afghan side of the border in Nuristan and Kunar provinces, but unfortunately no action was taken to stop them. Chitral is a tourist destination and a peaceful region with no local traces of the militants. It was an unusual attack to disrupt peace in the region. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed the attacks.
Reports say the leadership and thousands of militants of the banned TTP and other Pakistani terrorist groups have been living in Afghanistan under the influence of Afghan Taliban. The TTP had been showing allegiance to the leadership of the Afghan Taliban as both had been fighting the US led Nato forces in the past 20 years.
The Afghan Taliban has been denying the presence of the Pakistani militants inside Afghanistan, but many Pakistani militant commanders were killed on Afghan soil that reflects the other side of the story.
However, Pakistan carried out peace negotiations with the Pakistani militants in Afghanistan as facilitated by the Afghan Taliban. The talks that helped to have a ceasefire for months but broke down in November 2022. Islamabad tried to resolve the issue peacefully, but it did not work.
The militants allegedly crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan had resorted to violence and some deadly attacks were carried out. The counter terrorism officials investigated the deadly attack on a mosque in the Police Line of Peshawar on January 30 with some alleged links to Afghanistan.
In July this year, a terrorist attack was carried out on the compound of security forces in Zhob, Balochistan that also reportedly traced to Afghanistan. Some three attackers were identified as Afghan nationals. The September 6 attack on Pakistani posts from the Afghan side was the latest incident that has stranded the relations of both the neighboring countries.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share the longest border of nearly 2400 kilometers, and are so much interdependent in the people to people contacts and trade. Pakistan is eying to capture the Central Asian Market, but that could be possible to have peace with Afghanistan. Kabul is also mainly relying on Pakistan to have international trade as it is a landlocked country.
To keep good brotherly ties, both sides should establish a permanent mechanism to resolve their outstanding issues. Millions of Afghans have been living in Pakistan for decades as refugees and any conflict could create problems for the people of both sides. Let us sanity prevail and instead of entering into a media war, there should be direct contacts between Islamabad and Kabul. Instability, war and violence is in the interest of none, but will add to the challenges of both sides. If the Taliban could have concluded peace negotiations with the US led Nato, then why not with neighboring Pakistan.
A meaningful futuristic dialogue should be initiated to have permanent peace in the region, and make the region an economic hub rather than militancy. Pakistan and Afghanistan have been sharing many common issues, political stability and economic challenges, which could only be resolved if both the neighbors live with peace.
The Afghan Taliban has to go a long way to implement the peace agreement in letters and spirits, and convince the world to recognize its government as legitimate. No country in the world has been recognized so far.
Kabul should avoid conflicts and violence and play its part that Afghanistan is no more a threat to world peace in general and regional in particular.
The world is using its pressure on Kabul to focus on the security issues as some reports alleged that international terrorist outfits are returning to Afghanistan. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province and banned TTP are serious threats to regional peace. Mere denying the facts will not work, but actions are needed to assure the world that the Taliban is serious to tackle the issues.
