Torkham Border crossing on Pak-Afghan border, Photo by Master Sgt. Michael O’Connor (US armed forces), via Wikimedia Commons
After a week of Afghan border tensions arising from a new wave of terrorist attacks in Pakistani cities, Islamabad has said it plans to work cooperatively with its shaky neighbor to combat the common enemy.
Pakistan has launched a series of attacks against terrorist hideouts on along its Afghan border after terrorists killed more than 100 people in a sudden resurgence of bombings, and also shut down the long porous border.
The bombings on a crowd of protesters in Lahore, in the center of the country, and another against devotees gathered at a Sufi shrine in Sehwan, in Sindh province, and targeted attacks against law enforcement and government officials in Quetta and Peshawar during the same week shocked the nation.
Islamabad has also arrested Afghan suspects and traced the bombings to hideouts of militants including Jamaat ul Ahrar on the Afghan soil.
The bombings angered the Pakistani nation, which is seeking to put behind a decade of terrorist violence and achieve high economic growth, as China and other international investors return to the market of 200 million people.
On Monday after tough diplomatic reminders – from top political level to national security advisers and military commanders, – and closure of key routes connecting the two uneasy neighbors, Pakistan’s army chief said both countries will work together.
Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said enhanced security arrangements along Pakistan-Afghanistan border were meant to fight against “terrorists of all hue and color, who were the common enemies.”
“Pakistan and Afghanistan have fought against terrorism and shall continue this effort together,” he said, according to Inter Services Public Relations, media wing of the army.
He also directed “more effective border coordination and cooperation with Afghan security forces to prevent cross border movement of terrorists including all types of illegal movement.”
Bajwa welcomed the recent Afghan proposal to “take forward the mutual coordination for the result-oriented efforts against terrorism.”
Earlier, the army chief had also talked to Gen John Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, and conveyed Pakistan’s concern over anti-Pakistan militants’ operating from Afghan soil with impunity.
Pakistan has asked Kabul to take action against 76 Pakistani terrorists operating from Afghan territory or hand them over to Pakistan.
Following attack in Lahore – hometown of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – the Foreign Office had summoned the Afghan deputy head of mission and asked Kabul to address Pakistan’s concerns over terrorist sanctuaries there.
Reports say Pakistan has also moved heavy armor to the restive border to ratchet up its counterterror drive.
The bombings in Pakistan represent a reversal of years of complaints from Afghan officials that the Afghan Taliban had sanctuaries in Pakistan.
But during the last few years, Pakistan inflicted fatal blows to several groups of militants who were operating from its tribal areas.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, remains unstable and dangerous as Afghan Taliban and ISIS continue to operate in the country, carrying out deadly attacks on civilians.
Still, Afghanistan remains unable to counter the Taliban insurgency as the militants earn money from poppy trade and exploit weak governance. Top American lawmakers and officials are also concerned over Afghan inability to stabilize their country despite 16 years of U.S. investment.
