Afghanistan situation worsens

Last Sunday (Jan 21), a terrorist attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul claimed the lives of at least 22 people. The incident took place when six Taliban gunmen were able to raid the hotel. Instead of reviewing its security apparatus, the Afghan government blamed the Haqqani network. It has become a habit of the neighbouring country to blame Pakistan for every incident of terrorism, which takes place in Afghanistan.

Undoubtedly, this blame game will serve the interests of those who wish to see an unstable Afghanistan. Peace in Afghanistan will remain elusive unless the root causes of militancy are identified and uprooted. There is no denying the fact that there are certain forces which do not want to see the improvement of strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is imperative that both the countries work in unison to expose and defeat such hidden enemies.

Muhammad Fayyaz

Mianwali