Kabul needs to learn from Islamabad

LAHORE: Talking confidentially to The News here Tuesday, sources in defence establishment have reiterated their claim that ISIS has not been able to find wider support in Pakistan and thus it has centred itself in Afghanistan’s Northern Region, bordering with Pakistan.

Dwelling further on the insurgency issues in the Pak-Afghan region, the sources said the projection of ISIS is taking place by default since the Afghan National Unity government and its Indian sympathisers don’t like the fact that Afghan Taliban are being taken as a political reality by the international community. 

The News was further told that successes of Operation Zarb-e-Azb were being cemented effectively through the follow-up operation Rad ul Fassad that has started bearing fruit very promptly with the result that peace has returned to the country.  According to the sources,”Return of peace has led to the era of development in Pakistan spearheaded by CPEC as Pakistan has successfully flushed out the TTP-led terrorism from its soil as a result of operation Zarb–e-Azb.

Sources said further that Pakistan has interests in a peaceful Afghanistan and new armed forces’ leadership has demonstrated its resolve to confront and defeat all terrorist or banned outfits irrespective of any affiliation and in this context, the top brass of the armed services enjoyed full support of the political spectrum including the sitting government of Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif. 

They opined further, “Pakistani society, as a whole, has rejected extremism and terrorism as it favours moderation. Afghanistan needs to learn from Pakistan on how to undermine extremist mindset without blaming others. And, moreover, Pakistan and Afghanistan need to improve coordination and cooperation in their counter-terrorism and counter-extremism efforts.