Afghanistan Times
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A high ranking US official has predicted that militant groups in Pakistan will continue to take advantage of their “safe havens” to plan and conduct attacks in neighboring countries and beyond. Mr. Daniel Coats serving as Director of National Intelligence made these remarks while briefing the US Senate Select Committee on assessments of threats and challenges for South Asia in 2019, in particular significant global threats that the US will face during the year. Though the US repeated accusations has been categorically denied by Islamabad’s civilian and military leadership but presence and operating of militant’s sanctuaries in border regions of Pakistan is a fact. All militants who are claiming terror acts in Afghanistan are sheltering in these sanctuaries. Similarly annex between Pakistan’s military establishment and hard line religious groups is an open secret. Almost these hard line religious groups own armed, trained and well organized militant groups, who are justifying terror and violent acts against all those who either disagree them or infidels on the slogan of Islam and Jihad. Socio-Politico circles within Pakistan even highly responsible parliamentarians have time and again expressed resentment over “military establishment love for some of top leaders and commanders of terrorist groups.” Some of these top hard core terrorists who claimed responsibilities for scores of deadly terrorist attacks including Army Public School (APS) Peshawar, Bacha Khan University Charsada and others, are enjoying VIP guests like treatment in detention centers and prisons. Ex-banned Tehrik Taliban Pakistan spokesman Qari Ihsan Ullah Ihsan is top amongst them. And the US high ranking officer in his presentation before Senate Select committee has said that Pakistan continue to provide safe havens to terrorists “to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan, including against US interests,” while accusing Islamabad of “using some groups as policy tools and confronting only the militant groups that directly threaten Pakistan.” And it makes it clear, “Pakistan’s narrow approach to counter- terrorism cooperation [….] almost certainly will frustrate US counter-terrorism efforts against Taliban.” In the light of such apprehensions and threats, there will be no any advantage neither to Afghanistan or Taliban in its military strategy for 2019. In the light of US official presentation and other reports regarding security situation on Pak- Afghan fronts, expectations of war stricken Afghans from US efforts are also setbacks. The Afghans are attaching great hopes of US efforts but their worries are going intensifying day by day due to increasing trade of allegations and accusations between White House and Islamabad. From last several days, voices are raised from all over Afghanistan in favour of US troops deployment in Afghanistan. Like of 80’s and 90’s, the Afghans apprehending further influence and expansion of Pakistan’s military establishment in Afghanistan through its loyal and enrolled militants. Thousands of Pakistani militants who are still under influence of military establishment are sheltering along with Durand Line across the points with Afghanistan always proving beneficial to Islamabad and their association with Pakistan loyal militants could make further complications for the US and could boost up hardships for war affected Afghans.
