| Welcome to Global Village Space

Friday, March 29, 2024

COAS tells neighbors: Don’t pass the buck on Pakistan and set your house in order

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa called upon neighboring countries to address their internal problems and stop passing the buck on Pakistan.

He made these remarks without naming the countries in question. “Terrorism cannot be defeated by closing eyes to one’s own responsibilities and resorting to throwing blame outside as being done by a few players in the region,”  General Bajwa said while addressing participants of the National Security and War Course at the National Defense University.

Pakistan has been accused of harboring and supporting terrorism. Afghanistan blames Pakistan for the mayhem in the country and the brazen resurgence of the Taliban. India, on the other hand, ascribes the Kashmiri uprising to Pakistan. Tensions have increased in shape constant trade of fires along the Line of Control and occasional skirmishes on the Afghan border, with the last resulting in a long stand-off on the Chaman border. Moreover, the views of Delhi and Kabul are well-received and supported in Washington which constantly mull on exercising options to dissuade Pakistan for its alleged support of terrorism.

Read more: More American troops will not solve the Afghan quagmire

The situation in Afghanistan is in tatters . The Taliban and the ISIS for that matter are having many last laughs while facing-off the Afghan security forces . With the US sending more troops in the country , the pressure would mount on Islamabad

Pakistan has time and again brushed aside such allegations and tried to tell the world about its commitment to fighting terrorism. At the same time, Pakistan has also attributed instability and militancy in the country on India and Afghanistan.

Gen Bajwa further reiterated that  Pakistan “indiscriminately” fought terrorism at home. He pledged to root out terrorism through the ongoing Raddul Fasaad military operation, which has been continuing for months.

On Friday, the army announced the elimination of two terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Dera Ismail Khan. The two had planned to target religious gatherings in the holy month of Ramzan.

General Bajwa stressed upon the need for a coordinated response to grappling with multifarious internal and external threats. He said “The Army is fully engaged in enabling that response in coordination with other institutions of the state. … Pakistan Army is committed to defense and security of the country and shall continue to perform with the support of the people of Pakistan.”

Earlier while addressing the officers at the Peshawar-based XI Corps he referred to Kabul and said ““the threat requires a trust based coordinated response rather than a blame game or unwarranted skirmishes.”

Read more: Threats to regional peace: The implications of a disrupted Afghanistan

The two “Ks”

The situation in Kabul and Kashmir is similar in one way. The state authorities have been unable to stop their challengers. India, despite its military presence and use of force, has been unable to dampen the spirits of the Kashmiris as they press on to demand freedom. Not only armed assailants are attacking Indian Security Forces but the locals to include students, young kids, and hapless girls are resisting Indian control. This is likely to grow in potency as the Indian authorities continue to operate with an iron hand. India directly blames Pakistan for this Kashmiri resistance. Kashmir would hence again become a cause of the ever-escalating tensions between Delhi and Islamabad, War-mongering and military preparedness is already in motion.

As geopolitical tectonic plates shift, regional and world powers can ill-afford to ignore Islamabad , especially when it comes to bringing-in peace in war-torn Afghanistan. This however, hinges upon the end-state that the US has envisaged for Afghanistan.

The situation in Afghanistan is in tatters. The Taliban and the ISIS for that matter are having many last laughs while facing-off the Afghan security forces. With the US sending more troops in the country, the pressure would mount on Islamabad.

The US continues to accuse Pakistan of supporting the Haqqani Network and has hence ramped up pressure on Pakistan. According to reports, a recent drone strike in Pakistan plucked out a commander of the Haqqani Network.

Read more: Will US acknowledgment of Pakistan’s concerns over Indian influence in Afghanistan change anything?

ISIS has captured the famous Tora Bora Mountains and with talks off the table, the US will go after the Taliban and the ISIS with full gusto. Pakistan would be intrinsic to the new US policy. If anything, Pak-US ties will vitiate in the near future.

As geopolitical tectonic plates shift, regional and world powers can ill-afford to ignore Islamabad, especially when it comes to bringing in peace in war-torn Afghanistan. This, however, hinges upon the end-state that the US has envisaged for Afghanistan.