ISLAMABAD: The resurgence of banned terrorist and insurgent groups, including Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in the western parts of Pakistan is alarming and poses significant threat to the strategic assets of the country.

There exists a well-structured cooperation between terrorist and insurgent groups, which needs to be dealt with a different approach other than usual methods of tackling terrorism.

Speakers expressed these views at a policy dialogue organised by Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think-tank. The discussion was part of a study, “Emerging security situation and its impacts on CPEC.”

Experts belonging to security affairs, media and regional studies delved into diverse patterns in relation to resurfacing of terrorism in the country and its possible impacts on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Say federal, provincial govts have very weak coordination on information sharing and responsibilities for countering security threats

National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta)’s former coordinator Ihsan Ghani said there was very weak coordination between the central and provincial governments regarding information sharing and responsibilities for countering security threats, more specifically in the case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

“Secondly, there is a lack of strong political narrative against terrorism at the state level, which made terrorism able to resurface after being crushed during Operation Zarb-i-Azb,” he said.

Mr Ghani, also a former police officer, added that the state was not putting the required efforts to counter the threats posed by terrorism.

“The problem in Pakistan is not its policies, but these remain unimplemented,” he said, adding people of Balochistan were facing the problem of perceived identity threat, and the approach needed to end terrorism could not be applied in the case of insurgent groups like BLA.

“Dealing with the insurgent groups needs a different set of tools which should be deployed separately,” he added.

Xu Hangtian, Minister-Counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, reiterated the support for Pakistan’s national security and determination for completion of CPEC despite the changing geopolitical scenarios.

He also emphasised public diplomacy and bilateral and regional cooperation to bring peace to the region, consequently securing completion of the corridor project.

Journalist and author Zahid Hussain said there was a deep and decentralised support to the proscribed TTP by the Afghan Taliban, especially by the outlawed Haqqani Network.

“There also exists a well-structured cooperation between terrorist and insurgent groups in the likes of TTP and BLA,” he said, noting it might be possible that Afghan Taliban are the facilitators of this cooperation.

“Terrorism needs to be fought directly by the civilian apparatus, while it requires continuous engagement from the state to deal with insurgency,” he said.

Analyst Haroon Rashid focused on violence in the Kurram tribal district of KP, claiming it was neither a land dispute nor a religious one, but a geographical issue as the area was a crossing point of all militant groups. He pointed out the provincial government’s inability to curb recent incidents of violence and terrorism in the region.

Hassan Khan, an expert on Afghan affairs, said the Haqqani Network had some personal grudges against the state of Pakistan and the proscribed group was now taking revenge from the latter by supporting the TTP. On the deteriorating security situation in KP, he said the province had become a ping-pong ball between the central and provincial governments.

“People of the province are frustrated over the state for its failure to bring an end to the terrorism,” he added.

Zeeshan Salahudin of Tabadlab, an Islamabad-based think-tank, said the evolving geopolitical realities, the victory of President-elect Donald Trump, and deteriorating economic and security situation might bring hard times for Pakistan and the CPEC with India being dubbed as a ‘watchman’ of US interests in the region.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2024