World News | Terror attacks surge in Pakistan after Taliban takeover: report

Islamabad [Pakistan]June 1 (ANI): In the first 21 months after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has risen sharply by 73 per cent compared to the same period before their takeover, Dawn reported.

Since the Taliban seized control of Kabul on August 15, 2021, there have been many terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Additionally, the number of people killed in attacks in Pakistan increased by 138% between August 2021 and April 2023.

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These are some of the main conclusions of a policy-focused paper entitled “Pakistan’s Afghan Perspective and Policy Options” published by the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies (PIPS).

Since July 2021, the think tank has conducted eight expert discussions, conducted extensive monitoring, research and analysis, and completed a research report that includes important recommendations for policymakers.

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In addition to security and Afghan affairs experts, participants in the launch event included academics, parliamentarians, journalists, students and representatives of civil society. The ceremony concluded with presentations by experts and a question-and-answer session.

The report also said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces have had a notable impact on the situation in Afghanistan in terms of terrorist violence, with the number of attacks over the 21-month period reported by Pakistan Daily. The numbers surged by 92 and 81, respectively.

The report warns that these emerging terrorist trends will only increase Pakistan’s presence in the Taliban in KP and former tribal areas, the Baloch nationalist insurgency in Balochistan, ethno-nationalist violence in Sindh and the growing Religious extremism and, according to Dawn, radicalism.

“In the long run, this insecure, belligerent and violent environment also poses a serious threat to political and economic stability,” it said.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahanur Khan, deputy head of delegation at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad, expressed concern about the situation of women in the war-torn country. She said the Taliban government’s decision to deprive women and girls of their right to education and work constitutes a serious violation of human rights.

“We stress the need for a more representative and inclusive government (in Afghanistan),” she said.

Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, professor of political science and international relations at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, said there was a consensus in society that Pakistan’s five-decade-long Afghanistan policy needed to be revisited.

Retired Major General Inamul Haque, a defense and strategic affairs analyst, believes the ban on the Taliban Movement in Pakistan (TTP) and the border fence are two “variables” and stimuli in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, Dawn reported.

Mirwais Yassini, former first deputy speaker of the lower house of the Afghan parliament, pointed out that the core issue is to build mutual trust between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He added that there had been mistrust between the two countries for a long time, according to Dawn newspaper.

Earlier, in his welcoming remarks, PIPS Director Mohammad Amir Rana said Pakistan should broaden its policy options and policy framework which should be based on inclusiveness of all stakeholders on Afghanistan . (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)