RASC News Agency: Zia Siraj, the former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, has condemned Pakistan for ignoring repeated warnings about the looming threat of terrorism as the country faces escalating unrest. Cautioning that terrorist attacks in Pakistan are likely to intensify, Siraj described the current situation as entirely predictable. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, he noted that Pakistan is witnessing a significant rise in terrorist incidents, with an alarming potential for further escalation.
He wrote, “Despite numerous warnings about the dangers of nurturing terrorism and weaponizing it as a strategic tool for political purposes, Pakistan has persistently chosen to disregard them.” Siraj continued, “As long as the command and control of terrorism remains rooted in Afghanistan, no country in the region including Pakistan should expect any respite from its consequences.” Siraj elaborated that, based on the actions and rhetoric of terrorist groups, these organizations are on the verge of shifting from consolidation to an aggressive phase. He stressed, “It is time to abandon superficial narratives and recognize terrorism as a force that transcends short-term national interests. Terrorism is a monster that spares no one from its destructive impact.”
His remarks come amidst a marked surge in violence across Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. A recent report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies revealed that violence in these regions soared by 90% during the third quarter of 2024 (July to September). In this period, 722 individuals including civilians, security personnel, and militants lost their lives, while 615 others sustained injuries in 328 separate incidents. Nearly 97% of these casualties occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, representing the highest fatality rates recorded in a decade.
The report further noted that fatalities in the first quarter of 2024 alone exceeded 1,534, surpassing the total deaths documented throughout 2023. The Pakistani government has attributed the surge in militant attacks to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, asserting that their victory has emboldened extremist elements and destabilized the region.
