Pakistan's civilian and military leadership have approved armed operations to counter the rapidly increasing insurgent offensive in the country. Under this campaign, Pakistan Army is planning operations inside Afghanistan. This may further deteriorate the relations between Pakistan and Taliban.
Operation Azm-e-Istehkaam
Under the new anti-terrorism campaign of the Pakistan government, operations against Pakistani Taliban (TTP) bases in Afghanistan may be approved. Khorasan Diary has given this information quoting a high-ranking Pakistani official. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Pakistan government would not hesitate to pursue and eliminate terrorist cells across the border.On Saturday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved a nationwide campaign against extremism in the meeting of the top committee of the National Action Committee. It has been named Operation Azm-e-Istehkaam, under which a campaign against extremism will be conducted from North Waziristan to Balochistan. Along with Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, Chief Ministers and senior officials of all the states were also present in this meeting.
Also tried to convince Taliban
Along with the military operation, Pakistan will also make diplomatic efforts to persuade the interim Taliban government of Afghanistan to destroy terrorist hideouts. Pakistani newspaper Tribune has quoted sources as saying that there are two aspects to the campaign. Addresses an internal security situation,While the second focuses on the external threat emanating from Afghanistan. After the return of Taliban in Kabul in August 2021, TTP attacks inside Pakistan have increased, which is a blow to Islamabad.
Pakistan will also take help from China
The first five months of this year saw an 83 percent increase in terrorist attacks, forcing Pakistan to launch a new campaign against extremism. Sources said that Islamabad also plans to seek help from China in convincing the Afghan Taliban to ban Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).Pakistan may have nurtured the Taliban but today it sees Islamabad as its enemy. Since Kabul's return to power, relations between Pakistan and the Taliban government have gone from bad to worse. In March this year, the Pakistani Army had carried out air strikes on alleged TTP hideouts within the Afghan border, after which Afghanistan had threatened war.
Pakistan's operation under pressure from China
In recent times, attacks by rebel groups have intensified in Pakistan. Their top target is Chinese investments in Pakistan, which have been disrupted due to these attacks. Recently, a prominent Chinese minister, who visited Pakistan, publicly admitted that the confidence of Chinese investors has been shaken due to extremist attacks.The minister clearly warned that without security, business environment cannot be created in Pakistan. A day after the Chinese minister's statement, Pakistan's civilian and military leadership approved a new anti-extremism military operation.