Showing no regards for international pacts and bilateral relations, the Afghan Taliban regime has violated all commitments and pledges made under the Doha Agreement, signed on February 29, 2020, in Qatar.Under the agreement, the Afghan Taliban had pledged that Afghan territory would not be used by any terror group or individual to threaten the security of other countries, including Pakistan. 

However, the security and diplomatic experts reiterated that the Afghan Taliban regime have failed to dismantle terrorist training camps and prevent militant groups from operating inside Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban had committed not to allow their fugitive members, including Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Daesh, or any other terrorist organizations to use Afghan soil for cross-border terrorism. 

The experts claimed that instead of curbing such nefarious activities, terrorist networks have regrouped in Afghanistan under the nose of Afghan Taliban and intensified attacks against Pakistan. Former ambassador Manzoorul Haq termed the repeated violations of the Doha agreement a serious breach of international obligations, stating that Pakistan has all the right to take defensive measures for security of its people in response to cross-border terrorism. 

He said no sovereign country can allow that its people and security forces should be targeted by terrorists and suicide bombers. Following the hasty withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021 and the collapse of the government of Ashraf Ghani, he said Pakistani officials contend that militant and terrorist groups found space to reorganize and strengthen their networks in Afghanistan. 

He maintained that terrorism-related incidents and suicide attacks planned from Afghan territory have increased, posing significant security challenges for Pakistan. Despite diplomatic engagements, including talks held in Istanbul, he said that Kabul has not provided written assurances guaranteeing that Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan. 

In response to unprovoked cross-border aggression by Afghan Taliban, Pakistan was left with no option but to launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in self defense following persistent terror attacks. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistani security forces had killed 297 Afghan Taliban combatants, destroyed 89 posts, and captured 18 during the operation. 

He added that over 450 Afghan operatives were injured, while approximately 135 tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed till 11 pm last night.  According to the minister, 29 locations across Afghanistan were targeted through air defensive operations. Meanwhile, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said the Afghan Taliban must choose between cooperation with Pakistan or alignment with terrorist organizations.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)