Pak ups the ante
THE irony is too obvious to be missed — Pakistan, notorious for sponsoring cross-border terrorism, is itself feeling the terror heat and making desperate moves. Pakistan’s airstrikes have killed around 50 people, mostly women and children, in eastern Afghanistan, a couple of days after its security forces gunned down 11 suspected terrorists in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have worsened this year as the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has stepped up operations against Pakistani military and police forces. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sheltering members of this terror group, but the Afghan government continues to be in the denial mode.
The airstrikes have exposed Pakistan’s duplicity. They were carried out hours after its special representative for Afghanistan visited Kabul to discuss ways to improve ties. It is apparent that Islamabad is paying lip service to resolving the dispute through diplomatic means. This strategy can have dangerous consequences for the region, with the Afghan government warning that it would not leave this “cowardly act unanswered”.
The Shehbaz Sharif-led government is in no mood to appear vulnerable at a time when it is holding talks with jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Last month’s crackdown on protesting PTI supporters has not endeared the ruling coalition to the masses. The Balakot-style airstrikes might be a ploy of the establishment to rebuild its public image. Another trigger could be the growing closeness between the Taliban and the Indian government that has clearly annoyed Pakistan. In any case, Islamabad needs to brace itself for a fierce retaliation not only from the Taliban but also from the TTP. India, a victim of terrorism for decades, must keep a close eye on the developments.
