The terrorist attack on Sunday that killed four servicemen and injured at least 19 other people proves that the spillover from the Afghan mess is now in full effect inside Pakistan. The last two attacks in Balochistan were claimed by BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army) and BLF (Balochistan Liberation Front) but this one was claimed by TTP (Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan), which everyone knows was itching to resume its operations in Pakistan ever since Afghanistan’s security structure broke down following the victory of the Taliban. The incident is very tragic no doubt but it also vindicates Pakistan’s position that TTP was armed and ready and waiting for just such a moment. And since everybody in the region and beyond knows very well that TTP has been at least partly funded and armed by Indian intelligence, Afghanistan’s new rulers are very likely to have a security and diplomatic knot to untie in the coming weeks and months. Also, since TTP took responsibility for Sunday’s attack all the way from their hideout in Afghanistan, the Taliban now ought to take Pakistan’s concerns a little more seriously than they have so far. Recently, when Islamabad took up this issue with them, they said that it was up to Pakistan to sort out its stuff with TTP, but they did assure us that the militant group would not be allowed to plan or launch any attacks from their side. But since the TTP has openly defied the Taliban and done just that, they should look to revisit their earlier position. Surely this issue would have come under discussion during talks with the ISI chief in Kabul, where he’s been on a very rare visit, so some kind of clarity should be forthcoming. Regardless of any international reaction to attacks on our soil though, it is up to the security agencies of Pakistan to keep the land safe. We know very well that very hostile forces are out to sabotage our peace, and it is up to us at the end of the day to foil their plans. Our military has already gone the extra mile to crush the militancy that emerged from TTP’s last war against the country, so nobody in this region or outside it should harbour any false impressions about our ability to defend ourselves and send hostile forces to their maker. *