File Photo. Aref Karimi—AFP
Amidst an ongoing resurgence of terrorism nationwide, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has particularly targeted North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan and historically serving as a haven for militants belonging to Al Qaeda; both the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban; and various regional and international terrorist organizations. The government has sought to counter this by “mainstreaming” the region and ending its status as a “tribal area” to little avail. Worryingly, the region is often alleged to have links to terrorist attacks or plots against Western interests, rendering it Pakistan’s foremost security challenge, with attacks on law enforcers and civilians alike tragically commonplace. Worsening the situation is a decision of the ousted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government to permit TTP militants to “resettle” in North Waziristan without taking any steps to ensure they did not take up terrorism once more upon their return.
After years of dithering, Pakistan finally acknowledges that the TTP is an offshoot and close ally of the interim Taliban government currently ruling over Afghanistan. In various public statements, Kabul has made no secret of its desire to see the conflict resolved through dialogue despite Pakistanis increasingly finding it anathema to break bread with the killers of tens of thousands of civilians and law enforcers alike. Unfortunately, the decades of maintaining the “tribal areas” has slowly eroded the sovereignty of the state of Pakistan, making it difficult for the district administration and Army to counter the violence perpetrated by the TTP.
In recent weeks, Islamabad has started to push Kabul to stick to its commitments to ensure Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against any other state. In response, the Afghan Taliban has claimed it needs “evidence” of the presence of the TTP, making it clear the interim government has no desire to alienate the group deemed one of its biggest supporters during the decade of the war on terror. Amidst the geopolitical wrangling, the people of North Waziristan have made clear they would no longer tolerate any terrorism. After years displaced from their lands by the military’s Operation Zarb-e-Azb—which commenced in 2014 and continued till 2020—they expect a measure of peace and stability for their sacrifice. They are unlikely to secure it so long as the TTP continues to find shelter across the porous border in Afghanistan whenever the military in Pakistan squeezes them back home.