Daily Times

On Wednesday, Afghan forces violated international norms for the umpteenth time as they opened fire on Pakistani soldiers when they were engaged in fence repair on their side of the Durand Line.

In a befitting reply, Pakistan’s security forces also targeted Afghan checkpoints. Considering the frequency of these outbreaks of violence, concerns are always heightened about security in the region. Islamabad has time and again extended olive branches towards its Western neighbour, insisting that it is well within its rights to fortify its own defence, especially in light of undeniable evidence about terrorist groups flourishing on Afghan soil.

No avoidance technique can dismiss the fact that terrorist attacks have increased by an overwhelming 51 per cent since the Fall of Kabul. Security analysts never tire of advising Pakistan to step away from the shadows of its decades-old and embarrassingly failed Afghan policy.

From the popular vantage point, the state should have known better than to expect loyalty from an outfit that had survived whatever war threw at us with the help of treacherous double games. However, today, when those sitting in Kabul have very conveniently forgotten all that Pakistan has done every time a country perpetually fighting with poverty, famine, and natural disasters needed a helping hand, it would only be a futile exercise to keep hanging on to tales of the years gone by.

The constant skirmishes, incursions, and cross-border attacks by Afghan militants have posed a serious challenge to Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity: serving as a constant reminder of how the simmering tensions could very easily turn catastrophic.

Although ordinary circumstances would demand active diplomatic channels to de-escalate the situation, recent history is replete with all such attempts, including visits by civilian, military and even religious leadership, falling flat on their face. Therefore, what we need is a coordinated response from the international community to tell the Taliban that it takes two to push for regional peace. *