by Mateen Haider in The Nation, Dec 8, 2023
ISLAMABAD – Afghanistan has once again become the hub of global terrorism as 23 terrorist organizations are based there and involved in planning and executing terror plots in various countries including Pakistan.
According to security sources, these terror outfits are posing security threats to particularly the United States, China, and Pakistan.
The sources also said that 17 out of 23 terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan are directly hitting Pakistan with their terror activities.
The terror outfits which plan subversive and terrorist activities in Pakistan include banned TTP, Jamat ul Ahrar, Hizb ul Tahrir and several banned Baloch terrorist organizations.
The sources say that global terror organization Al-Qaeda which is now based in Afghanistan poses a direct security threat to the Europe and United States. East Turkistan Islamic Movement ETIM poses a security threat to China. Another terrorist organization IMU poses a serious security threat to Uzbekistan.
Another regional terrorist organization Jundullah is also operating from Afghan soil and is involved in terrorist activities against Iran.
The security sources further said that there is no doubt in the fact that the current Afghan government which is also known as the Taliban government is officially financing and supporting terrorist and militant organizations in Afghanistan. In 2022 and 2023, Pakistan had faced a fresh wave of terrorism by TTP which is completely being supported and financed by the Kabul administration.
The Pakistan Army had almost eliminated TTP during its one of the biggest and successful counter terrorism operations including Zarbe Azb and operation Rad ul Fasad.
However, TTP gained strength and became active after the Afghan Taliban took over the government in Kabul in August 2021. The Asia Pacific Forum, which is a coalition of 25 human rights institutions from the region, stated in one of its reports that due to effective military operations by the Pakistan Army between 2015 and 2020, the militant attacks by TTP had reduced in Pakistan. However, the forum said that after 2020 the militant attacks by TTP in Pakistan have increased significantly.
The Forum also said that TTP carried out 49 militant attacks in Pakistan in 2020, 198 attacks in 2021, and 237 attacks in 2022.
The forum said that 389 Pakistani citizens were martyred in the militant attacks by TTP in 2022.
Another significant and worrisome aspect of the recent fresh wave of terrorism in Pakistan is the use of leftover sophisticated weapons by the US forces in Afghanistan by TTP.
The American-made weapons are being supplied to TTP which is using these weapons for carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan.
The security sources said that it is a fact that Afghan citizens were involved in all suicide attacks carried out in Pakistan in 2022 and 2023.
The sources also said that Pakistan took up the matter of the involvement of Afghan citizens in suicide bombings in Pakistan with the Taliban administration in Kabul with all evidence, however, no action was taken against the planners and the masterminds of such attacks who were based in Afghanistan.
The United Nations in one of its fact-finding reports has disclosed that the region is facing instability after the Taliban came into power in 2021. The UN in its report further said that the Taliban administration did not fulfil the conditions of the Doha agreement including the action against terrorist organizations and ensuring that its soil will not be used for terrorism for other countries. The UN in its report concluded that the security situation in the region has become extremely uncertain and complex after taking over the Taliban in Kabul.
https://www.nation.com.pk/E-Paper/lahore/2023-12-08/page-1/detail-9
