Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has stated that dialogue and concessions with terrorists are out of the question, and their eradication is essential for Pakistan’s development and prosperity.
He expressed these views while addressing the Provincial Apex Committee meeting of the National Action Plan in Quetta.
Our homeland has been facing the threat of terrorism for a long time. The recent attacks by separatists in Balochistan are among the most extensive and deadly militant actions in the province in recent years.
Previous attacks on Chinese engineers in the province are part of this ongoing trend, with militant groups seeking to pressure the state through these attacks.
Balochistan, rich in natural resources, has seen decades of separatist efforts by various groups.
Several projects are underway in the province under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including a strategic port in Gwadar and mining projects for gold and copper.
Over the past two decades, numerous teachers, barbers, and laborers from Punjab have been killed in Balochistan due to extremist violence.
Another aspect to consider in the recent horrifying incidents of terrorism in Balochistan is the renewed surge of propaganda by Indian media.
Similar interests are evident in their coverage of protests and other activities. India’s intelligence agency, RAW, has been involved in a proxy war to destabilize Pakistan and thwart the CPEC.
Due to the sacrifices of the Pakistani military and the patriotism of the people of Balochistan, this network has not achieved significant success, leading them to play a gruesome game with innocent lives to cover up their failures.
Videos of past terrorist incidents are being spread on social media to create the false impression of widespread deterioration in the situation in Balochistan.
The aim of this false media campaign is to obstruct development and investment in the province, which is the real agenda of these terrorists and their foreign backers.
The security threats to Pakistan are primarily cross-border, with Pakistan consistently raising this issue, but Afghanistan has failed to fulfill its responsibilities.
Despite ten years passing, the National Action Plan against terrorism has not been fully implemented. There have also been no necessary measures to address poverty, unemployment, and backwardness in the affected areas.
In regions of Waziristan, the Taliban holds significant control, and the concept of civilian protection has vanished. The slight resistance and protests by the public are the only obstacles in the way of terrorists.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for four decades, providing them with support and various benefits.
However, many Afghan nationals have committed severe crimes, causing significant harm to our nation and delaying our progress by forty years. If Afghan refugees and other illegal foreigners were to return to their countries, many of Pakistan’s problems would resolve themselves.
Inflation would decrease, unemployment would fall, terrorism would subside, and incidents of looting, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom would stop.
There is substantial evidence that most terrorist activities in Pakistan involve Afghan nationals, with links to India.
The alarming fact is the recent evidence of foreign weapons smuggled from Afghanistan being used in terrorism within Pakistan.
The banned TTP, which has all its connections in Afghanistan, is heavily involved in terrorism in Pakistan, and Pakistan has been fighting a war against TTP for the past two decades. It is no secret that TTP terrorists possess weapons left by the US in Afghanistan.
The supply of American weapons from Afghanistan to TTP has jeopardized regional security. The banned BLA has also used American weapons in attacks on FC camps in Nushki and Panjgur, and in an attack on the Zhob garrison. TTP terrorists equipped with modern American weapons have also attacked military check posts in Chitral.
The weapons found from terrorists in the attack on the Mianwali Air Base were also of foreign manufacture. The terrorists used dangerous firearms such as M16 and A2 rifles, AK-47s, and HE grenades in the attack.
The smuggling of modern American weapons from Afghanistan into Pakistan and their use against Pakistani security forces and the public raises serious questions about the Afghan interim government’s claims of not using its territory against Pakistan or any other country.
Foreign media reports also indicate the use of American-made weapons in TTP’s activities in Pakistan. According to the Pentagon, the US provided Afghan forces with over 427,000 weapons, with 300,000 weapons remaining at the time of withdrawal. This has led to a significant increase in terrorism in the region over the past two years.
The Pentagon also stated that between 2005 and August 2021, the US provided Afghan national, defense, and security forces with $18.6 billion worth of military equipment.
These facts suggest that the Afghan interim government is not only arming TTP but also providing safe passage to other terrorist organizations. In reality, Pakistan faces serious threats from the banned TTP and its affiliated organizations, which are involved in organized terrorism within Pakistan. Kabul remains a complex and persistent challenge for Pakistan.
The Pakistani government’s ongoing campaign for the expulsion of illegally residing foreigners and the continued return of illegal Afghan nationals from various cities, including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi, is a significant achievement.
Many of these individuals were involved in serious crimes such as smuggling, extortion, theft, kidnapping for ransom, murder, illegal occupations, and terrorism.
Given the increase in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, the involvement of Afghan nationals, and evidence of the supply of American weapons to terrorists from Afghanistan, it is crucial to immediately deport illegal Afghan residents and impose a ban on their re-entry into Pakistan.
Strict legal action should also be taken against those who obtained Pakistani identification cards and passports illegally, and they should be promptly sent back.
Controlling terrorism and criminal activities in Pakistan is not possible without completely sealing the routes from Afghanistan to the tribal areas.
It is encouraging that the Pakistan Army has carried out operations in the tribal areas, eliminating terrorist hideouts and freeing these regions from their control.
There are elements within Pakistan that act as agents of external powers and facilitate terrorists.
The strong resolve of the state and the Pakistan Armed Forces against terrorists demonstrates Pakistan’s full readiness to tackle this challenge, but complete success requires internal unity and a determined defeat of the terrorists’ narrative.