Afghan Taliban’s reluctance to act against TTP and other terrorist outfits despite irrefutable evidence of terrorism has put the security of the entire region and Pakistan at stake. Their non-cooperative attitude underscores the persistent challenges of countering terrorism in a region marked by instability and distrust.
Since the withdrawal of US forces, Pakistan has been continuously persuading Kabul to dismantle TTP hideouts but all efforts have been resisted, showcasing the Afghan Taliban’s unwillingness to act against terrorism.
AIG’s repeated denial of TTP safe heavens faced another setback on 4th December 2024, when a key TTP commander Rahimullah, alias Shahid Umar with a head bounty of Rs 10 million was killed in Afghanistan’s Kunar province. His death is being considered a result of TTP’s internal fight, greed and a persistent struggle for power.
While the immediate impact of this killing is the elimination of a significant source of terror, it also holds broader geopolitical implications.
Upon Kabul’s continued protection of TTP elements, Islamabad may eventually find itself compelled to act decisively.
This development places the Afghan Taliban in a particularly difficult position. Their continued denial mode had been now exposed as hollow, leaving them embarrassed.
Up till now, 150 TTP terrorists have been killed on Afghan soil which is solid evidence of Afghanistan becoming the epicenter of terrorism. The Taliban’s three-year rule could not succeed in controlling terrorism inside Afghanistan either.
This is evident from the recent killing of senior Afghan Taliban Khalilur Rehman Haqqani, the Afghan Taliban’s acting minister for refugees in a suicide bombing near his office in Kabul. Mr Haqqani was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the Haqqani Network, and the uncle of Sirajud Haqani, the current acting interior minister. ISKP has claimed responsibility for Haqqani’s killing.
This killing is being viewed as a retaliatory move by ISKP in response to the Afghan Taliban’s aggressive campaign against ISKP causing severe damage. The killing of Khalil Haqqani, the highest-ranking Taliban official, is a major setback to the Taliban government. He was the second-highest target of ISKP since the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021. The last senior Taliban figure killed in a suicide bombing was Daud Muzmil, governor of Balkh province, in March 2023.
The Taliban government must understand now that the menace of terrorism knows no boundaries. The karma of terrorism will keep hitting them back unless the Afghan Taliban’s policy towards harbouring terrorists changes.
Upon Kabul’s continued protection of TTP elements, Islamabad may eventually find itself compelled to act decisively against terrorists’ safe havens within Afghanistan, whether through diplomatic pressure or other kinetic means. Afghan Taliban’s irresponsible and deceitful policies ensure the continuation of terrorism, deepening regional instability and global distrust.
The writer is a freelance columnist with special focus on issues concerning national security.