In the last two days, the neighboring countries of South Asia, none other than Pakistan and India, faced the same fate. Both capitals, Delhi and Islamabad, were shocked by the explosions. On Nov 10th, a blast occurred near Delhi’s Red Fort that left a number of casualties, and on the very next day, a suicide attack took place outside Islamabad’s district court, leaving a trail of dead bodies. The attack in Delhi highlights the fragile internal security situation in India, where officials seem more focused on strategic alignments and regional optics, particularly in their ties with Afghanistan, than on safeguarding their own citizens. Similarly, the shortcomings of the security system of Pakistan cannot be ignored, which allows such incidents to take place.
Afghanistan’s role as a sanctuary for terrorism has once again become the central issue. It has always been on the radar when it comes to terrorism, and this time, Pakistan connected the dots and completed the cycle. Whenever Afghanistan faces pressure, it manages it by killing innocent civilians of other countries while staying in the shadows. Pakistan directly confronted Indian proxies, who are operating from Afghan soil, on the suicide attack, while India dismissed such claims as “predictable deflection.” Fuel to the fire is that there is increasing proof that some Indian groups have secret connections with militants operating near the border. Whereas Delhi is playing victim, ignoring its own actions, which leads to the building of unrest in the region, merely strengthening its own interests.
For a long time, the world has been witnessing the clash of these two countries, continuously accusing each other of terrorism. But the recent incident showed the world which country is directly involved with terrorism, as now it has become difficult to ignore the recurring patterns. In the past, India has been called out for many “false flag operations” blamed on others but carried out within their own country for political and military reactions, such as the Pulwama attack in 2019 and the Pathankot airbase incident. These incidents raise some serious questions about who is behind these attacks. Such tricks have been used by India to manipulate the public and put the blame on the neighboring state.
Despite the continuous cry from Pakistan about dismantling terrorist organizations, Afghanistan is still a safe haven for militant groups operating and working on negative agendas against the world, shielded by the cover of politics. It can be considered a failure of the Islamic Emirates to take a stand against TTP, raising questions about its credibility regarding its commitment to peace in the region. The exact groups that claimed to lay down arms are once again getting active, attacking law enforcement agencies and civilians. Despite the seriousness of the issue, the international community isn’t restraining or putting pressure on the Kabul government to control the terrorist hubs brewing inside its territory.
Pakistan accused militants, particularly the Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), of using Afghan territory to launch attacks, while Afghanistan protested violations of its sovereignty, alleging airstrikes by Pakistan. Faced with the risk of further escalation, both sides agreed to a ceasefire, for which the talks took place, starting from 19th October in Doha, Qatar. Then again, on 25th October, both states met in Istanbul, Turkey, which resulted in a deadlock over peace talks. However, it laid a roadmap towards peace. Soon, a delegation from Turkey is arriving in Pakistan in hopes of breaking the deadlock, but words alone cannot stop violence. The neighboring state needs to move beyond the blame game and take caution against militancy emanating from its territory, respect the ceasefire, and protect its civilians. These ordinary people continue to suffer due to political games. A peaceful region is achievable only if actions follow negotiations.
The dual game being played by Afghanistan and India is dangerous and can push South Asia into a swirl of conflicts. Instead of working together and eliminating terrorism from the world, they are busy fighting with Pakistan, enhancing the violence; meanwhile, the ordinary people are suffering and paying for the consequences, which is, as always, being totally ignored by these governments in their greed for power and for their advantages in the region.
