The tone and tenor of the recent interview conducted by the BBC with Zabihullah Mujahid was markedly different from previous engagements. Unlike a few months ago, where his statements were filled with aggression, threats, and blame towards Pakistan for its “failure to control terrorist activities within its borders”, this interview took a more conciliatory approach.
Mujahid extended an olive branch by highlighting shared cultural, religious, and social values, overlapping economic interests, and common borders.
He offered the interim Afghan government’s willing assistance to help address Pakistan’s concerns regarding cross-border terrorism. This shift in the Afghan Taliban’s stance did not occur in a vacuum.
It was the result of sustained and persistent pressure applied by Pakistan, particularly by its military leadership.
After recognizing that its previous appeasement policies were ineffective, Pakistan adopted a multi-pronged aggressive strategy with a singular objective: to make the Afghan Taliban understand that they must rein in the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and stop them from launching cross-border attacks.
Otherwise, Pakistan would be forced to take matters into its own hands to counter this threat decisively.
This aggressive policy included measures such as curbing cross-border trade, enforcing stricter border controls with formal visa protocols, shutting down traditional smuggling routes that have been financially sustaining the Afghan government, and expelling over 400,000 Afghan nationals residing illegally in Pakistan.
Additionally, Pakistan conducted intelligence-based operations within Afghanistan, targeting and eliminating high-profile TTP operatives, further escalating the pressure on the Afghan government.
Qamar Bashir
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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