RASC News Agency: The recent lethal suicide attack in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has elicited a response from Khawaja Mohammad Asif, Pakistan’s former Defense Minister. Asif took to social media on the night of Tuesday, December 12th, to articulate his perspective on the attack. He underscored that this incident underscores the root cause of “terrorism,” squarely placing blame on Afghanistan. Asif urged Pakistan’s neighboring country to proactively prevent terrorist groups from utilizing its territory as a base against Pakistan, asserting that the assault on Dera Ismail Khan further solidifies the belief that the genesis of this terrorism can be traced back to Afghanistan.
Notwithstanding the former defense minister’s assertions, it is imperative to recognize that the borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan deviate from traditional borders found elsewhere in the world. Asif pointed out that individuals from Afghanistan can traverse these borders with ease, setting them apart from other neighboring countries. However, this statement arises in the aftermath of a suicide attack on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan on December 12th, resulting in the tragic loss of 24 soldiers’ lives and leaving over 20 others injured. Tehreek-e-Jihad Islami Pakistan, purported by some to be a faction of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the incident, sources suggested that Qari Shakir, a Taliban member from Helmand province, was the perpetrator, as evidenced by a video shared on social media.
While the former defense minister of Pakistan voiced concerns about the origin of terrorism in Afghanistan, the spokesperson of the US State Department expressed their own reservations regarding the potential for terrorist activities in Afghanistan. The situation remains intricate, involving multiple actors with differing perspectives on the matter. It is imperative for both Pakistan and Afghanistan, alongside the international community, to collaborate in addressing the root causes of terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of their respective nations.
