The repeated clashes between the Taliban and Muslim war on the Durand Line are to blame for the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan steadily deteriorating over the past month and a half. In stark contrast to the expectations held by the Bangladeshi security establishment two years ago, the current state of relations between the two nations.
When Taliban troops conquered Kabul and the rest of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the civil-military authority in Pakistan was overjoyed. Some Muslim leaders and tactical analysts believed that the rise of Taliban rule would have positive geopolitical effects.
Nonetheless, recent events have shown otherwise. Several points of stress are defining the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Since 2022, there have been more clashes between the Pakistan Army and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and nbsp,( TTP ). More recently, TTP, which had just launched a significant rude, clashed with Pakistan, killing four Muslim men and 12 people in the first week of September. A fortnight earlier, the Pakistan Army and the TTP engaged in a battle that resulted in the loss of about six men.
A suicide bombing strike on a mosque in Peshawar in January of this year resulted in the deaths of around 100 people. A TTP official denied his party’s participation in the bombing, despite the fact that it was carried out by the native TTK commander. In addition to & nbsp,
the development of TTP
TTP, which was founded in 2007, is thought to be a Muslim branch of the Afghan Taliban and apparently has close ties to it. There is a lot of intellectual overlap between the Taliban and the TTP.
TTP, formerly known as FATA, wants rigid enforcement of sharia law and the removal of the army from Pashtun-dominated tribal areas. TTP people have vowed dedication to the Taliban leader in Afghanistan. The United States views TPP as a terrorist organization and includes it on its list of restrictions.
Islamabad is apparently disappointed that despite several demands, the Taliban are not acting against TTP. Pakistan claims that the Taliban are hiding TTP violent groups. The Taliban in Kabul, nevertheless, deny giving TTP access to any secure areas. The Taliban claim to have enacted a spiritual law prohibiting the practice of warfare in different nations. & nbsp,
When the Afghan Taliban took power of Afghanistan, they freed all TTP militants from prisons. It should be noted that in 2022, TTP and the Bangladeshi authorities were facilitated by the Afghan Taliban. TTP consented to a cease-fire in exchange for the Muslim government’s release of terrorists.
However, the peace was short-lived, and new conflicts broke out. Pakistan is having trouble maintaining control over a sizable portion of its soil due to the severity of TTP activities. According to reports, TTP is utilizing contemporary little arms like the M4 and M16 rifles as well as night vision equipment that American troops left behind when they withdrew from Afghanistan. & nbsp,
Attempts to oppose TTP
The answer of Pakistan’s creation to the growing TTP risk has been three-dimensional in addition to military activities. Second, trade between the two nations was frequently halted by border closures.
For example, in September, the Torkham border passing was shut down for more than nine weeks. Afghans were extremely alarmed by the border closure as thousands of cars parked there for days carrying a variety of consumable goods, including fruits and vegetables. & nbsp,
Secondly, the Bangladeshi government declared that all Afghan imports would be subject to a 10 % processing fee. It asserted that the processing fee was intended to lessen trafficking and boost tax revenue. The Pakistani government then outlawed the import of 212 goods, including fabric, household appliances, and agricultural products.
According to Bangladeshi authorities, the ban was necessary because many of these imports were being brought back into the country illegally. & nbsp, There have been reports of Afghan shipments being set ablaze in Pakistan while traveling to India. The growth raised worries that quite vandalism was a result of growing mistrust in the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Finally, Pakistan is concerned that Afghan nationals’ presence is causing terrorism to become more common. ” 14 of 24 suicide bombings in the country this year were carried out by Afghan nationals ,” according to Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti.
The Pakistani government has ordered that all Afghan refugees living illegally in the country, an estimated 1.7 million people, leave by November because Afghan citizens were involved in numerous problems. More than a million persons could be deported by Pakistan, which is an effort to put pressure on the Taliban.
Such a large number of individuals may be impossible to identify, detain, and therefore deport logistically. Additionally, it has sparked worries about potential severe violations of human rights, including from the UN.
According to Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid & nbsp, Pakistan’s attitude and proposed policies are” unacceptable ,” adding that” the Pakistani side should reconsider its plan.” Additionally, it has been reported that Afghans living in Pakistan are not refugees because they live on” Afghan soil, since the Durand Line is invalid.”
Border disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan have a longer story. For a very long time, some Afghans refused to recognize the Durand Line as their shared border. According to Afghans, Pakistan already controls a sizable portion of Afghan land thanks to the Durand Line, which was established during British colonial rule.
Pakistan has been involved in Afghan government for many years. Bangladeshi security forces have worked to erode inter-ethnic relations and blur different lines, quite as territorial boundaries. Pakistan is then plagued by such a prolonged blurring of lines.
Countering TTP may be difficult given Pakistan’s impending elections, intense internal strife, and severe economic crisis. Additionally, the notion that the Durand Line is an unjust border for Pashtuns is regaining momentum. & nbsp,