By Sajjad Shaukat
On January, 20, this
year, at least 21 persons, including students, a faculty member and security
guards were killed at Bacha Khan University in Khyber Pakhtunkha’s Charsadda
town, when heavily-armed terrorists of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
entered the university and opened fire on them. It was due to the quick
response of Pakistan’s security forces, including Special Services Group (SSG)
personnel of the army which killed the four attackers and cleared the premises
of the university by securing the civilians inside.
On the same day, Chief
of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif reached Charsadda to boost the morale of
the security personnel who took part in the operation. He appreciated timely
response by the security forces, and also expressed deep grief over the loss of
lives.
The mastermind of the
Army Public School (APS) Peshawar attack, Umar Mansoor of the TTP Geedar group
claimed the attack at the university through a post on his Facebook page,
adding that four attackers were sent to the university.
Head of the
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa revealed, “The
investigations show that Charsadda terror attack was being controlled from a
location in Afghanistan through Afghan cellphone by a TTP operative.”
He also said that Gen.
Raheel Sharif called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah
Abdullah and top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen John Campbell to
inform them about the evidence which has emerged from investigations into the
university assault, pointing towards Afghanistan-based terrorists of the TTP,
controlling it.
Reliable sources
disclosed that Indian consulate located in Jalalabad, Afghanistan played a key
role in targeting the Bacha Khan University. In this regard, the operatives of
the Indian secret agency, RAW in connivance with Rahmatullah Nabil, the former
director of Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS)
and the TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah planned this assault. Indian consulate
gave rupees 3 million to the Talban commander to arrange this brutal act at the
university.
However, this terror
attack cannot be seen in isolation, as it is part of the Indian nefarious
designs not only against Pakistan, but also against other regional and global
powers. While some powers like the US are also playing double game with
Pakistan and China which are also behind these designs.
It is notable that in
January 13, 2016, at least seven personal of the Afghan security forces died
during the suicide attack which targeted the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad.
Islamic State group (ISIS or Daesh) claimed responsibility for the terror
attack.
The assault which
coincided with efforts to restart the stalled peace process with Taliban
insurgents and ease diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, added a
dangerous new element to Afghanistan's volatile security mix. In this respect,
delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States had met this
to try to resurrect efforts to end nearly 15 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan.
It is mentionable that
on December 9, 2015, the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process Conference was held in
Islamabad in which high-level representatives of supporting regional and
international organizations from over 30 countries including especially the US,
China and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj participated.
The participants
realized the importance of the conference as an important regional platform
aimed at a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan which was not only in
its own interest, but also vital to peace, stability and prosperity of the
‘Heart of Asia’ region as a whole—it was collective responsibility to help
Afghanistan in combating the challenges it faced.
In the joint
declaration, the participants reaffirmed the respect for each other’s
sovereignty, territorial integrity and reiterated their commitment to refrain
from the threat or use of force against each other and reaffirmed the
objectives, aimed at promoting regional peace and prosperity and enhanced
cooperation for countering security threats collectively.
And a series of meetings
were held in Islamabad between Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the US to
develop an understanding of the earliest possible resumption of stalled talks
between the Afghan government and Taliban. A trilateral meeting was also held among
Pakistan, Afghanistan and the America. Besides, President Ashraf Ghani, Indian
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Sushma
said that India and Pakistan have decided to restart composite dialogue to
address all issues including Kashmir.
President Ghani vowed to
work together to eliminate the common threat of terrorism, which Pakistan and
Afghanistan are facing, and emphasized on the need to enhance bilateral
relations between the two countries.
In this respect, in the
recent past, cordial relations were established between Pakistan and
Afghanistan when Afghan President Ghani had realized that Afghanistan and
Pakistan were facing similar challenges of terrorism and would combat this
threat collectively.
While, it is misfortune
that on direction of New Delhi and like the former regime of Afghan President
Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s present rulers have also started accusing Pakistan
of cross-border terrorism. In this context, after hours of the Taliban captured
Kunduz city, on September 28, 2015, during his address to the UNO General
Assembly, Afghanistan’s chief executive Abdullah Abdullah blamed Islamabad for
carrying out cross-border attacks and destabilizing Afghanistan.
Differences exist
between chief executive Abdullah Abdullah and President Ashraf Ghani, as the
former wants cordial relations with New Delhi at the cost of Afghanistan and
the latter prefers Islamabad, because Pak-Afghan stability is interrelated.
It is noteworthy that on
December 10, President Ghani accepted the resignation of Rahmatullah Nabil as
director of the Afghan intelligence agency, NDS, after developing differences
of the spymaster with him over Ghani’s move to attend the regional conference
in Islamabad. In his statement, Nabil said President Ghani had asked him to
relinquish charge of the NDS.
Besides, Prime Minister
Sharif and President Ghani also showed their determination that their countries
would cooperate in fighting the threat of ISIS.
As the US is playing
double game with Pakistan, because it is the only nuclear country in the
Islamic World, which irritates America and Israel. Hence, secret agents of
American CIA, Israeli Mossad and Indian RAW which are well-penetrated in the
TTP and ISIS are making efforts to weaken Tibetan regions of China, Iran and
Pakistan, especially Pakistan’s province of Balochistan by arranging the
subversive activities, promoting acrimonious sense of dissent, political
volatility, sectarian violence and arousing sentiments of separatism.
While the US and India
are also playing double game against each other. In this connection, in
collusion with Afghanistan’s spy agency NDS, particularly, RAW has
well-established its network in Afghanistan, and is fully assisting
cross-border incursions and terror-activities in various regions of Pakistan
through Baloch separatist elements and anti-Pakistan groups like Baluchistan
Liberation Army (BLA), Jundullah (God’s soldiers) and TTP.
Nevertheless, Indian
desperation in Afghanistan is increasing in the backdrop of growing engagements
of Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and US. Therefore, by arranging terror-assaults
in Pakistan and Afghanistan, India is also thwarting the peace process between
the Afghan officials and representatives of Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan, which
started in Murree, Pakistan, on July 8, 2015 through a meeting, hosted by
Islamabad, and in it, Chinese and American representatives, also participated.
While, the US, China and Pakistan are jointly working to facilitate the process
so as to bring peace both in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the whole region.
US and especially New
Delhi is also trying to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
and is targeting growing Pak-China-Afghanistan relations.
Although the US is
acting upon dual strategy, yet by waging a prolonged war in Afghanistan,
the America and other NATO countries have realized that after the withdrawal of
foreign troops, Afghanistan would be thrown in an era of uncertainly and civil
war. They realize the fact that there is a co-relationship of terrorism or
stability in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Therefore, US-led developed nations
which also spent billions of dollars for the development of Afghanistan have
repeatedly agreed that without Islamabad’s help, stability cannot be achieved
there. Unfortunately, India does not intend to see peace in Afghanistan and
Pakistan. Hence, India is undermining Pak-Afghan stability by creating unrest,
and by sabotaging their cordial relations.
As regards the
protracted conflict in Afghanistan, the problem cannot be solved through war
and weaponry. Initiation of peace dialogue and positive engagements among the
contestant groups can be the other practicable option.
Pakistan is
desirous of peaceful Afghanistan and sincerely committed to play a positive
role in facilitating atmosphere for the dialogue-parties.
Islamabad has
categorically denounced any proximity with Taliban as propagated by Indian and
western segments. The impression of proximity has been exploited to fan
mistrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan has
expressed its firm resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism and military
operation Zarb-e-Azb and National Action Plan is clear manifestation of the
same.
The entities which are
playing double game are opposed to a peaceful Afghanistan. Therefore, they have
always attempted to hinder or disrupt any positive outcome of Pak-Afghan
engagement by exploiting holed up proxies to carryout terrorism either on
Afghan soil or in Pakistan.
Due to Pakistan’s
incontestable role in Afghan imbroglio, the country remains a prime target of
vested countries and extra regional powers and have been witnessing terrorism
through the ISIS which these hostile have themselves created to obtain the
secret designs of America, India, Israel and some western countries.
Optimistically speaking,
while appreciating increasing engagements at military level of both Pakistan
and Afghanistan, media may urge political leadership to expend the contacts and
engagements, so that the bilateral relations foster at all levels.
For the purpose, the
US-led developed countries must also realize that unlike India, Pakistan shares
common geographical, historical, religious and cultural bonds with Afghanistan,
while Pak-Afghan stability has a co-relationship, which is essential for their
global and regional interests. Especially, America must abandon its double
standard, and must check Indian hidden strategy against Pakistan, Afghanistan
and other regional countries. Nonetheless, dual policy of the peace disruptors
in Afghanistan must be stopped by the respective governments of these
countries.
Returning to our earlier
discussion, there were multiple designs behind the terror attack at the
Charsadda’s university.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on
international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email:
sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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