Or just a convergence of interest?
Afghan security forces’ operation in Kunar – where the Pak army has long asked for action against TTP pockets – has raised serious questions in Pakistan. Perhaps this is the logical follow-up of recent events. Gen Raheel’s last visit to Kabul was clearly about the cross-border sanctuary, even though there have been contradictory reports about whether Fazlullah was mentioned by name or not. And there was Sartaj Aziz’s statement, shortly afterwards, about coordinated Pak-Afghan operations. Importantly, Gen Raheel was building momentum since before the Peshawar attack. His US visit was very successful and, among other things, he was clearly able to impress Zarb-e-Azb’s “all hues and colours” theme upon Washington. Afghan President Ghani, too, seemed eager to turn the page on the hostility of Karzai’s days, and a joint strategic as well as tactical partnership seemed possible, for the first time.
Yet there are also reports that the Afghans were retaliating to their own insurgency in Kunar. And in the absence of a clarification, this can give rise to all kinds of conjecture. It wouldn’t be feasible to go after both brands of the Taliban simultaneously, not the least because the central government has very little writ, if any, in the borderland. Then there is the friction between the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban. Both countries accuse the other of aiding their brand of insurgents. And even though Kunar and Nooristan provide near-ideal habitat for all kinds of militants, there are not many reports of TTP and the Afghan Taliban sharing a hideout.
The Afghans did say, however, that LeT militants also battled their forces in the Dangam area. This should be investigated immediately and answers provided to some very important questions. One, what is LeT doing in Afghanistan? Two, how long has it been active there? Three, who facilitated the trek? And four, who exactly are LeT’s handlers inside Pakistan? Peshawar changed many things about Pakistan’s COIN program; one important feature being the public demanding to know facts and details. If indeed Pakistan and Afghanistan have started cooperating, it not only marks a novelty in the long war, but delivers a big blow to insurgents. But if there are still lingering doubts about the other’s sincerity, then such partnership will remain elusive. Both governments must clarify their positions, so people in both countries can assess how close they are to the defeat of their respective enemies.
