Afghan Taliban-TTP nexus exposed following attacks on Pakistan: Experts Warn of destabilization plot
PESHAWAR, (APP): The latest cross border attacks on Pakistani military check-posts have once again highlighted the growing nexus between the Afghan Taliban and banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a development that experts warned could severely destabilize regional peace and security.
According to security analysts and former officials, last night’s unprovoked assaults by Afghan-based militants have reinforced Pakistan’s long-standing position that the interim Taliban regime in Kabul is providing safe havens and logistical support to anti-Pakistan terror groups, including TTP, ISKP/Daesh, and other extremist factions on behest of their foreign masters.
Brigadier (R) Mehmood Shah, former Secretary for Law and Order in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), told APP that the attacks served as alarming proof of Afghanistan’s repeated violations of the Doha Peace Agreement and UN Charter.
He claimed that terror camps on Afghan soil are actively training terrorists and TTP allegedly sponsoring by Indian RAW to conduct cross-border operations against Pakistan.
“The interim Taliban government continues to sponsor terrorist networks operating against Pakistan. This is a dangerous, shortsighted game that threatens the security of the entire region,” Brigadier Mahmood Shah said.
He emphasized that the Pakistan Armed Forces had no choice but to respond forcefully against terrorists. In retaliation, over 200 Taliban militants and Fitnaul Khwaraj were neutralized, and 21 hostile positions were captured along the border, showcasing the Pakistan military’s tactical strength and operational capabilities.
The Pak military operations, Brigadier Mehmood Shah said, specifically targeted Taliban-run terrorists camps, and logistics hubs supporting banned outfits such as Fitna al-Khwarij (FAK), Fitna al-Hindustan (FAH), TTP, and ISKP/Daesh and avoid collateral damage.
He said the precision strikes caused extensive infrastructural damage, significantly disrupting the operational capabilities of these terror groups inside Afghanistan.
“All efforts were made to avoid civilian casualties during these operations. However, the Pakistan military remains resolute in neutralizing threats emanating from Afghan territory, in full accordance with its right to self-defense,” he added.
He further warned that the ongoing Taliban-India engagement particularly during the recent visit of Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to New Delhi raised serious concerns.
“This Afghans Taliban provocation has occurred at a time when India, the biggest sponsor of terrorism in the region, is cozying up with the Taliban in a dangerous diplomatic alignment in a bid to destabilize Pakistan.”
He said India was using Afghan Taliban and terrorists groups against Pakistan after facing crushing defeat at the hands of Pakistani military in operation Iron wall.
Brigadier Mahmood said that sacrfices of 23 martyred Pakistani soldiers during the recent clashes will not go waste.
“Their sacrifices will be remembered in golden words. The nation stands united behind its valiant armed forces in the fight against terrorism,” he said.
Professor Dr. Adnan Sarwar, former Chairman international relations Department at University of Peshawar strongly condemned the Taliban foreign minister’s recent remarks on Kashmir made during his visit to India, calling them “irresponsible and irrational.”
He said the joint India-Afghanistan communiqué on Kashmir is a calculated nefarious attempt by New Delhi to drive a wedge between Pakistan and Afghanistan at a time of regional volatility.
“The Kashmir issue is governed by United Nations resolutions, and no foreign government has the authority to bypass the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. Afghanistan’s failure to dismantle terror infrastructure within its borders is eroding regional peace, while India is exploiting these tensions to further its geopolitical ambitions,” Dr. Sarwar reiterated.
He also referenced the Pakistan’s military success of Operation Iron Wall, during which the Pakistan Air Force have shot down seven Indian aircraft, including Rafale jets, on May 10 that was a strategic setback India has yet to recover from.
Dr. Zahid Anwar, Professor of Political Science at the University of Peshawar, highlighted that the $7.2 billion worth of military equipment left behind by the United States in Afghanistan after its 2021 withdrawal has now fallen into the hands of militant groups.
“This vast arsenal has significantly strengthened terrorist capabilities in the region, including TTP and ISKP. The Taliban Govt must act swiftly to eliminate these threats, rather than engaging in provocative diplomacy with India,” he warned.
Dr. Anwar also reminded the Taliban government of Pakistan’s decades-long support to the Afghan people that hosted over 4 million refugees since 1979, providing humanitarian aid, and offering economic concessions. “Such goodwill by Pakistan is now being undermined by irresponsible diplomatic moves by Afghan interim Govt,” he added.
Experts collectively called on the international community, including the United Nations and signatories of the Doha Accord, to ensure that Afghanistan fulfills its commitments and ceases to harbor terrorist elements.
They also stressed the need for India to refrain from exploiting Afghan instability for geopolitical gains.
“Pakistan prefers peace and constructive diplomacy over hostility,” Brigadier Mehmood Shah concluded. “However, we will not allow Afghan soil to be used for terrorism against our people. The defense of our sovereignty and the security of our citizens remains our foremost priority,” he concluded.
