Imran Khan govt failing to shape its strategy against Afghan Taliban as TTP surges attacks against Pak

Feb 10, 2022

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 10 : The Imran Khan government is unable to shape its clear strategy towards the Afghan Taliban as differences between the two have widened in recent days after terrorists belonging to Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- an affiliate of the Taliban -- from across the border in Afghanistan, killed five Pakistani soldiers recently, according to a media report.
When the Imran Khan government is busy garnering support for the Taliban across the world, the PTI is unable to figure out its massive loss caused by the new rulers in Kabul. Despite repeated calls and efforts by Islamabad, the Afghan Taliban have not been able to press the TTP for not attacking the Pakistan soldiers.
TTP, which is directly affiliated with the Afghan Taliban, operates in Pakistan and has staged massive attacks including the Peshwar Army School attack in 2014, which had killed over 100 students.
After the Pakistan government's talks with the TTP failed recently, Pakistan has seen a surge in the attacks countrywide. And these attacks are not limited to one place or province, sending a clear message to the Imran Khan government that their demands to the Afghan Taliban have gone in vain.
The rise in the violence has also forced Islamabad to reconsider its supportive actions to the Taliban as the Pakistan government has been continuously demanding the countries to recognise the interim government in Kabul. But the recent surge in violence by an affiliate of the Taliban all seems to have failed.
Currently, the Imran Khan government does not know how to react or prevent such attacks. The beleaguered Pakistan Prime Minister is losing patience but is unable to convey the sentiment explicitly for fear of alienating the Taliban and thus find himself in deeper trouble. Adding to his miseries is the reality that Islamabad cannot publicly ask Kabul to curb attacks inside Pakistan as the Afghans might not find it amusing, according to the Policy Research Group.
It is possible that Islamabad's diplomatic outreach on its behalf has not impressed the Taliban rulers. Firstly, Pakistan itself has shown no interest in recognizing the Kabul regime. Secondly, the Pakistan campaign has not to pump primed even its iron friend, China to go beyond lip service, according to POREG.
With the Afghan Taliban not renouncing TTP getting aligned with al Qaeda and ISIS, Pakistan can hope for terrorism nirvana only if it returns to the drawing board to find ways to exit from its decades-old terrorist centric foreign policy that has led the country to terrorist mayhem, said POREG.