Pakistan and Terrorism: When the Tables Turn — The Diplomat

In his address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described Afghanistan as a haven for terrorist groups carrying out attacks against Pakistan. He specifically named Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or the TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and called on the Afghan Taliban to take decisive action to prevent Afghan soil from being used against Pakistan and other countries. Coming from a Pakistani official, this demand raises many questions. The first is: since when has Pakistan decided that supporting armed groups in a neighboring country is dangerous? When the Taliban were fighting in Afghanistan against the Republic government and the Afghan people were the victims, where was this concern? Why does the same government that supported the Taliban for years now speak about terrorist sanctuaries as though it had no role in creating this situation? Pakistan’s support for the Taliban is not merely an allegation made by Afghans out of anger or without grounding. Financial support, the training and recruitment of fighters, the transfer of ammunition and fuel, and cooperation between Pakistani military and intelligence officials and the Taliban have been extensively documented over the years by credible international organizations. For much of the last 25 years, Pakistan helped strengthen a force that imposed war and repression on the people of Afghanistan….