ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, on Monday raised serious concerns over a surge in cross-border attacks taking place inside Pakistan from Afghan territory, revealing that the majority of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists are Afghan nationals.
Speaking at a seminar titled “A Holistic Appraisal of the Security and Governance Challenges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” organised by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) on Monday, Ambassador Sadiq disclosed that 500 Afghan nationals joined the TTP and fought against Pakistan last year. “Only last year, 500 Afghans joined the TTP and fought inside Pakistan,” Ambassador Sadiq said.
He warned that among the attackers were not only terrorists but also former Afghan military commanders, terming the development as “extremely concerning” for Pakistan. “This issue has turned the TTP into a major flashpoint between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he noted.
Ambassador Sadiq stressed that the TTP issue must be prioritised by both Kabul and Islamabad and addressed through negotiations. “TTP’s presence and operations need to be addressed on a priority basis by both Islamabad and Kabul,” he emphasised.
He said Pakistan would use all its resources to fight the TTP, which remains the country’s biggest challenge.
Touching on the refugee issue, he criticised the media coverage around Pakistan’s repatriation efforts, highlighting that Iran had repatriated 1.5 million Afghan refugees last year without drawing similar criticism.
The Ambassador also blamed India’s intelligence agency, RAW, for exploiting instability in Afghanistan. “RAW is not only present in Afghanistan but also actively supporting and financing terrorists,” he maintained.
He stressed that Pakistan needs to make serious efforts to reduce India’s influence in Afghanistan. However, he noted that no serious attention has been paid to curbing this open space.
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The seminar also featured key insights from provincial officials and former security personnel. Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government expressed concern over the militant presence in Parachinar. However, he cautioned that any military operation in the area could worsen the situation.
Former Corps Commander Peshawar, Lieutenant General (Retd) Hassan Azhar Hayat, proposed immediate de-weaponisation of the Kurram tribal district as a solution to restoring peace.
Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Zulfiqar Hameed, pointed out the challenges facing law enforcement in the province. He said the police force was the lowest paid in the country. Furthermore, he said that the tribal districts had fewer number of police stations, hampering effective policing.
