ISLAMABAD: Corps commanders of the Pakistan Army on Monday blamed Kabul for the uptick in militancy, saying that safe havens and liberty of action, along with the latest weapons available to militants from Afghan­istan enabled them to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

Islamabad has repeatedly raised concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants for cross-border terror­­ism. In a recent statement, the military said it expected the government in Afghanistan to take action against militants and abide by the Doha agreement.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir presided over the 258th Corps Commanders’ Con­ference held at General Headquarters in Rawal­pindi, where the top brass was briefed in detail about the prevailing internal security environment.

“The sanctuaries and liberty of action available to the terrorists of proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in a neighbouring country and availability of latest weapons to the terrorists were noted as major reasons impacting [the] security of Pakistan,” a statement issued by the ISPR said.

Army points to TTP’s acquisition of advanced weaponry from Afghanistan, terms it ‘major’ challenge to country’s security

Military sources said the inability of the Afghan Taliban to restrain the TTP was the main reason for the latest wave of unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They said the banned TTP continued to enjoy safe havens and managed to get its hands on sophisticated weapons, as it operates freely in Afghanistan. The sources pointed out that militants involved in the recent attacks in Balochistan were using M-16 rifles and sporting uniforms commonly used by the US military.

The corps commanders also deliberated in detail upon the army’s operational preparedness and training aspects.

Gen Munir said: “Objective training remains the hallmark of our professionalism and we must always remain prepared to guard against any threat to our national security.” The forum also paid rich tribute to the sacrifices being offered by the valiant soldiers to avert the threat of terrorism.

The conference was also apprised about the government’s economic revival plan and the “role of the army in uplifting agriculture, IT, mining and mineral, and defence production sectors under the ambit of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)”, the ISPR statement said.

The top brass vowed to fully support the strategic initiatives planned by the government for the revival of the economy by providing all possible technical and management support.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2023