Terrorist groups are becoming more confident in their attacks, and trouble is building in KP. This week saw two heinous attacks by TTP-backed terrorists, who are thought to be operating from safe havens in Afghanistan, that resulted in the deaths of fifteen Pakistanis, including ten troops, at a cantonment and a rural health center in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, respectively.
It has long been evident that the de facto government in Kabul is failing to contain the TTP, despite Islamabad sending a “strong demarche” to Afghan leaders demanding “immediate, robust and effective action” in response to the attack on the Bannu cantonment. It, according to a recent UN report, is currently the “largest terror group” operating on its territory. Thus, the Pakistani government must take decisive action against these terrorists and those who assist them. But the state’s inadequate planning has so far thwarted its intentions.
Opposition parties, including the PTI, had supported the government’s suggestion about two weeks prior for an all-party conference to review Operation Azm-i-Istehkam. Though there was initial enthusiasm, there has been no progress on this front, and there are fears that the new tensions between the PTI and the existing regime could cause the project to be p A couple of weeks prior, the opposition parties, namely the PTI, had applauded the government’s proposal for an all-party meeting to deliberate on Operation Azm-i-Istehkam. But since the initial excitement, little has happened in this regard, and there are fears that the project could be postponed indefinitely as a result of the PTI and the existing administration escalating hostilities.
Planning to counter a serious existential threat has unintentionally become subordinate to the seemingly never-ending political game, which makes this problematic from a national security standpoint. The government must to remember that substantial reservations about the planned operation are held by other mainstream parties in addition to the PTI, and that getting their approval is essential.ostponed indefinitely. If you don’t, you run the danger of upsetting the local population and causing needless trouble.
For instance, take into consideration that the Bannu people’s initial response to the attack was to release a statement in which they explicitly stated that they would not flee the area in the event of a military operation. Locals expressed a preference for taking up arms against terrorists rather than leaving their homes to participate in another antiterrorism campaign. Although they acknowledge the issue, they are uninterested in the state’s suggested remedy. This is largely a political fiasco, stemming from the government’s incapacity to forge widespread agreement over the necessity of a military operation. It is imperative that this failure be fixed immediately. An enemy that is becoming more powerful the longer the infighting in the corridors of power persists is taking too many lives. As soon as possible, the government ought to call its APC and welcome all interested parties to participate. There is no more time to put this off.
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