The realisation on the part of Afghan Taliban that dialogue is the way out to address irritants is a welcome development. The willingness expressed by Taliban through their spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, to mediate between TTP and Islamabad is also a good omen, but falls short of merit as Taliban 2.0 think “TTP is an internal matter of Pakistan”. But the fact is that the TTP is holed inside Afghanistan and is out to destabilise and bleed Pakistan, and this does not make it an internal affair of Pakistan, and Kabul should be cognisant of this ground reality.
It is, however, good to learn that Kabul has reiterated its resolve not to allow any non-state actor to use its soil for nefarious activities across the border. This is what needs to be looked into whole-heartedly and this is where the problem rests. The TTP, IS-K, Al-Qaeda and other dreaded groups operate from Afghanistan, and Pakistan is one of their favourite operating grounds. They arm-twist the socio-political realities of Pakistan’s tribal front, and have established sleeping cells there to enable their outreach. The Taliban 2.0 know better than anyone else what kind of modus operandi such elements adopt, and the surge in terrorist activities inside Pakistan during the last two years is an evidence of their blatant meddling across the Pak-Afghan border.
Kabul cannot absolve itself of its responsibilities by offering a knee-jerk reaction on bringing TTP to account. While the TTP leadership is based in Afghanistan and several attempts to talk it out with them have failed, it is incumbent upon the Afghan Taliban to tighten the noose around them. Such elements are equally a threat to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, and the strife-torn country could again slip into lawlessness and chaos if appeasement remains the order of the day.
To begin with Zabihullah has made a good start to retain Pak-Afghan relations in the state-centric premise, and not to get dissuaded by non-state actors. Trade, refugees and serenity are indispensable factors, but are hampered by violence. This needs a solution, instantly.
