Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stark warning, stating that the country might target the sanctuaries of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan under its newly launched military operation. Asif categorically ruled out any possibility for dialogue with the TTP, citing a lack of “common ground.”
The government announced the launch of ‘Operation Azm-i-Istehkam’ last week to confront the escalating threat of terrorism in the wake of lukewarm support by the Afghan Taliban to stop the use of their soil by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) rebels against Pakistan. In an interview with Voice of America, Asif clarified that the decision to embark on this counter-terrorism mission was carefully deliberated and not made impulsively, as reported by The Express Tribune. “The decision about Azm-e-Istehkam was taken because of the economic difficulties, and it may also target TTP’s sanctuaries across the border,” he told the state-owned American news network and international radio broadcaster.
The minister asserted that the operation would not violate international law, as Afghanistan had been “exporting” terrorism to Pakistan, and the “exporters” were being harbored there, The Dawn newspaper reported. Asif stated that while the TTP was operating from the neighboring country, its cadre, estimated to be a few thousand in number, “are operating from within the country”. He further dismissed any chance of dialogue with the banned outfit, emphasizing the absence of common ground.
Asif placed blame on the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s government for the resettlement of the Taliban militants in Pakistan, according to the report. Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) “government brought back the 4,000 to 5,000 Taliban after negotiations. If that experiment was successful, let us know we can replicate it,” he said.
Addressing the Opposition’s criticism of Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, Asif assured that the concerns of political parties would be addressed. “The government will bring this matter to the National Assembly so that the questions and concerns of the members can be answered and they are taken into confidence,” he said. “This is also our duty,” he was quoted as saying.
Major opposition parties, including the PTI of Imran Khan, who was also dubbed as ‘Taliban Khan’ for his support for the Taliban, right-wing Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and secular Awami National Party (ANP) of the family of Ghaffar Khan, opposed any new military offensive. All these parties have their support in the restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which has been badly hit by the militancy. Parties like ANP paid a heavy price in the war against militancy. These parties have demanded that Parliament be taken into confidence before any offensive against militancy was launched.
At an earlier press conference, Asif emphasized, “There are no political aims of this operation. We only want to challenge and end the rising wave of terrorism ongoing since the past few months.” He urged all government components, the judiciary, security forces, Parliament and the media to support the operation. “This is a national crisis, which is not just the Army’s responsibility but all institutions,” the minister said.
The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was established as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. Its main objective is to impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan. The group, believed to be closely linked to al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban, has been blamed for numerous deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. With inputs from agencies.
