By Qamar Bashir
Former Press Secretary to the President
Former Press Minister to the Embassy of Pakistan to France
Former MD, SRBC, CEO, ATV
The tone and tenor of the recent interview conducted by the BBC with Zabihullah
Mujahid was markedly different from previous engagements. Unlike a few months ago,
where his statements were filled with aggression, threats, and blame towards Pakistan for
its failure to control terrorist activities within its borders, this interview took a more
conciliatory approach. Mujahid extended an olive branch by highlighting shared cultural,
religious, and social values, overlapping economic interests, and common borders. He
offered the interim Afghan government's willing assistance to help address Pakistan’s
concerns regarding cross-border terrorism.
This shift in the Afghan Taliban's stance did not occur in a vacuum. It was the result of
sustained and persistent pressure applied by Pakistan, particularly by its military
leadership. After recognizing that its previous appeasement policies were ineffective,
Pakistan adopted a multi-pronged aggressive strategy with a singular objective: to make
the Afghan Taliban understand that they must either rein in the Pakistani Taliban (TTP)
and stop them from launching cross-border attacks, or Pakistan would be forced to take
matters into its own hands to counter this threat decisively.
This aggressive policy included measures such as curbing cross-border trade, enforcing
stricter border controls with formal visa protocols, shutting down traditional smuggling
routes that have been financially sustaining the Afghan government, and expelling over
400,000 Afghan nationals residing illegally in Pakistan. Additionally, Pakistan conducted
intelligence-based operations within Afghanistan, targeting and eliminating high-profile
TTP operatives, further escalating the pressure on the Afghan government.
General Asim Munir, Pakistan's Army Chief, has been actively pursuing a public
relations campaign to garner domestic and international support for Pakistan's aggressive
stance towards Afghanistan. This campaign has included delivering numerous speeches
at significant events, where he has consistently emphasized the necessity of eradicating
the TTP and its networks, both within Pakistan and across the border. In a recent address
to cadets at the prestigious Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, General Munir invoked
religious verses, denounced the TTP as Khawarij (a term historically used to describe
extremist rebels), and urged the Afghan government to reciprocate Pakistan's decades-
long support by assisting in the elimination of the cross-border terrorism threat.
In his high-profile speeches, the army chief categorically ruled out any other
options—political, economic, or diplomatic—for resolving the issue of the virulent and
dangerous TTP. Instead, he has asserted that the only viable solution is to kinetically
eliminate the TTP threat.
Against this backdrop, the recent interview with Zabihullah Mujahid holds immense
significance. Mujahid presented several concrete proposals aimed at easing the frustration
and anger of Pakistan's leadership, particularly the military, which has been deeply
affected by the ongoing sacrifices of its officers and soldiers. With patience and
forbearance wearing thin, these proposals could be seen as an attempt to open a dialogue
and potentially ease tensions between the two countries.
He has offered mediation between the Pakistan government and the TTP. However,
Pakistan has already been engaged in several such mediated talks, which have often
proven more detrimental than beneficial to its interests. Pakistan's principal stance is that
these notorious and dangerous elements have committed heinous crimes against the
people and the state of Pakistan. The Afghan government, which has provided them
refuge, equipped them with modern weapons, and offered them safe havens, is equally
culpable in the conflict with the TTP, seemingly using them as strategic assets against
Pakistan.
Therefore, Pakistan's demands are twofold: first, that the Afghan government must cease
harboring these militants, and second, that they must hand them over to the Pakistani
authorities to be subjected to the legal and judicial processes and held accountable
according to the laws of the land. Given these firm demands, the option of mediation is
almost a non-starter for Pakistan.
Mr. Zabihullah Mujahid's assertion that the issue is an internal matter for Pakistan carries
little weight or substance, given that the Afghan government is knowingly and willingly
harboring a declared terrorist group of over 6,000 heavily armed militants within its
territory. By providing these terrorists with hospitality, financial resources, and the means
to survive, Afghanistan has made itself an active party to the conflict. Therefore, it
cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, declare itself uninvolved.
It is an internationally recognized norm that responsibility for acts of terrorism extends
not only to the terrorists themselves but also to the entities or countries that harbor them
and provide them with safe havens. This principle is enshrined in various international
legal frameworks, including United Nations Security Council Resolutions, which
emphasize the accountability of states that support or tolerate terrorist activities.
Consequently, the claim made by Zabihullah Mujahid that the TTP issue is merely an
internal matter for Pakistan is both illogical and lacking in reasonable basis.
His emphasis on the Afghan government's commitment to ensuring that Afghan soil is
not used for attacks against Pakistan is as hollow as his other assertions. The Afghan
government is, in fact, harboring Pakistani nationals who have committed heinous crimes
against the people and the state of Pakistan. They are fully aware that these individuals
are involved in cross-border terrorism, masterminding and controlling operations within
Pakistan to launch fatal attacks on the country's vital interests.
Despite having the capability to rein in these violent groups and assist Pakistan in putting
an end to their activities, the Afghan government, for reasons known only to them, not
only harbors these militants but also seemingly encourages them to target Pakistan where
it hurts most. This behavior calls into question the sincerity of their stated commitment to
non-interference and suggests a deliberate complicity in the ongoing violence against
Pakistan.
However, his last suggestion that Pakistan and Afghanistan should hold formal talks and
negotiations to address any concerns carries significant merit, especially given the current
context. By engaging in direct communication, Pakistan can clearly present its demands
and concerns, compelling the Afghan government to take concrete and decisive steps in
addressing the TTP issue comprehensively. Should these talks fail, Pakistan would gain
further legitimacy and international acceptability for its kinetic operations aimed at
exterminating the TTP menace.
