Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar expressed anger over making public of the profiles of identified terrorists who were involved in the Badaber PAF base attack. According to Interior Ministry spokesperson, an investigation has been ordered to find out who leaked the profiles, as the leak can negatively impact the investigation. A statement issued by Interior Ministry spokesperson stated that terrorists had been identified the day the incident took place but this information was withheld on purpose owing to the sensitivity of the matter. The spokesperson said that it appears the sharing of information between institutions caused the premature leak, which should never have happened. The statement also said that as per the evidence and records, at least eight of the terrorists appear to be foreigners. It said that more time is required to determine their nationalities. He further insisted that the investigations had confirmed that the attack originated from Afghan soil and that since the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had admitted responsibility for the attack, this clearly revealed that the TTP was based in Afghanistan. While he did promise that the Pakistan government would share proof of the attackers’ identity, associates and modus operandi as gleaned from the investigation with the Afghanistan government, he tampered the message of coordination by launching yet another salvo towards Kabul. In his bid to appear tough and uncompromising to the audience at home, Nisar boldly made a highly dubious claim that Pakistan’s military operation in North Waziristan has ensured that infiltration of militants from Pakistani soil into Afghan territory had nearly stopped but the reverse was not true, and, according to him, this was the result of Kabul’s inaction. Even if one accepts that the ongoing military operation has managed to effectively reign in the infamously porous Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the North Waziristan region, the absurdity of Nisar’s declaration is obvious to anyone who looks at a map between the two countries because the border between the two countries runs for thousands of kilometres and remains equally porous and unmanageable in the other areas. The Pakistan government’s paranoia about an Afghanistan partnering up with India to the detriment of Pakistan reveals that they are still stuck in the recent past when Hamid Karzai was the Afghan president. As soon as Karzai’s successor, Ashraf Ghani, was elected he extended an olive branch to Pakistan and every political action he took until July of this year indicated that he was sincerely committed to establishing good ties with Pakistan and reducing the trust deficit between the two countries. Pakistan should recognize this, even at this belated stage, and seek ways to repair the damage. Lambasting Afghanistan at every opportunity is a questionable strategy, especially since Pakistan repeatedly complains about Afghanistan doing the same. Pakistan’s continual game of playing victim also rings hollow, since its decades-long interference in Afghanistan has played a huge role in Kabul’s current reduced status and the ailments of Afghanistan. By refusing to acknowledge this responsibility and by doubling down on a rhetorical assault, Pakistan is not doing its fair share to resuscitate the relationship. Allowing this dispute to persist is harmful to the security of both countries.
pk.shafaqna.com
