As Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Heightens Attacks In Pakistan, Threat to the Region’s Security Rises
Pakistan’s
Support to Taliban in Afghanistan May Not Augur Well for It
Main
Points:
1. TTP
has stepped up terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
2. Taliban
have not stopped TTP from its attacks in Pakistan.
3. Taliban
have released TTP fighters and leaders in their custody.
4. TTP
rejected Pakistan’s amnesty offer saying they are proud of their struggle.
5. Imran
Khan’s euphoria over Taliban’s ascent in Afghanistan may soon be over.
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New
Age Islam Special Correspondent
30
September 2021
Pakistan
has been supporting Taliban since the beginning of US-Taliban talks. It has
freed Mulla Baradar, jailed in Pakistan, at the behest of the US to facilitate
his participation in Doha talks. Taliban’s ascent to power in Afghanistan
provided strategic depth against India as it always wanted outmanoeuvre India
in Afghanistan. India had billions of dollars’ worth of investments in
Afghanistan which are facing an uncertain future with a hostile Taliban.
Therefore,
Pakistan’s Prime Miinister is very upbeat about the growing prospects of
Pakistan’s involvement in Afghan politics with the rise of Taliban.
However,
all is not well at the domestic front as the rise of Taliban in Afghanistan has
emboldened the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan along with other terrorist groups
active in Pakistan. Taliban’s ideological offshoot, TTP are seen as a dreaded
force in Pakistan since their inception in 2007, they have mounted thousands of
attacks on civilians, public places and military installations and personnel in
the past. They call the democratic
government of Pakistan the government of infidels and atheists and vow to
overthrow them by force to establish a government ruled by Shariah.
Ironically,
TTP has made inroads in the Pak Army and has sympathizers in intelligence
agencies and government departments.
This is the reason, there were large celebrations in Pakistan when
Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. The TTP is so powerful in Pakistan that
the political parties need their support during elections. Many clerics in
Pakistan subscribe to the violent ideology of Pakistan and so overtly and
covertly support their attacks on Shias and other minorities in Pakistan.
In this
context, Taliban’s ascent in Afghanistan has become a cause for concern for the
Imran Khan government side by side his pleasure at Taliban’s rise in
Afghanistan. The TTP has stepped up its terrorist activities in Pakistan in the
recent months. The degree of TTP’s rise in Pakistan can be gauged by the fact
that only in August it carried out more than 50 terrorist attacks, including
suicide bombings in Pakistan killing hundreds of people and defence personnel.
To add to
the woes of Pakistan, the Taliban of Afghanistan have released thousands of TTP
fighters in their custody as an expression of solidarity with them. According
to the UN Security Council report, about 6000 TTP fighters are based in
Afghanistan. Imran Khan himself admitted that the Afghan Taliban support the
TTP and facilitate attacks in Pakistan carried out by the TTP. The Afghan
Taliban use the TTP as part of its strategy against China. The Communist
country has billions worth of projects in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Taliban
supports TTP which carried out attacks on Chinese engineers in Pakistan
recently.
That the
TTP will not accept anything less than an Islamic government based on Shariah
became evident from the fact that when last week Pakistan government offered
amnesty to the TTP fighters who had fled to Kunar and Nangerbar with their
families on the codition that they will give up arms and struggle, they
rejected the offer saying they were proud of their struggle for Islam. Instead
they set the condition for that the Pakistan government impose Shariah laws
nationwide.
This
aggressive posturing of the TTP only shows that the TTP will heighten their
attacks on government and civilian targets. The religious leaders of Pakistan
supporting Taliban will also help them spread their ideological base. The
corruption of the political leaders of Pakistan will used by them to convince
the people of the country that only Taliban can provide a corruption-free and
just government in Pakistan.
In short,
the rise of Taliban in Afghanistan will give boost to the TTP in Pakistan which
shares the same ideology with Taliban and enjoy the latter’s support. The
political observers feel that the TTP may align with the ISIS to strengthen its
base in Pakistan and mount its attacks in the country. Therefore, despite Imran
Khan’s euphoria over Taliban’s ascent in Afghan, TTP may become a threat to not
only Pakistan’s security but also to the security of the region.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/tehreek-taliban-pakistan-attack-security/d/125475