The terrorists who fled military operations in Pakistan found safe havens in the adjoining provinces of Afghanistan. There are no two opinions about this reality. Last week, the notorious militant Qari Yaseen who was killed in a US drone attack had been based in the Afghan province of Paktika. Will closing the common border crossing points stop them from sending their foot soldiers into Pakistan? That is more than doubtful. Closing borders is therefore no solution to fighting Afghanistan-based terrorism. The Pakistani-Afghan border is too long, too easily penetrable and is straddled by tribes distributed on both sides. Suicide-bombers don't have to come through Torkham or Chaman; they come from other parts of the border which are unprotected. Or their leaders have to only awake up their sleeper cells in Pakistan. The pragmatic approach to fight this menace would be greater political and military co-operation between the governments in Islamabad and Kabul. Let us hope that the "other important issues" the two sides are said to have discussed and agreed upon in London include at least some degree of co-operation. They have already exchanged lists of terrorists and the locations of terrorist hideouts are no more completely secret to them. They should now follow up on the London understanding and evolve a common strategy to fight terrorism. For far too long, the two sides have nurtured independent approaches to fight terrorism, but failed. The time has come for their now joining hands for peace on both sides.
The terrorists who fled military operations in Pakistan found safe havens in the adjoining provinces of Afghanistan. There are no two opinions about this reality. Last week, the notorious militant Qari Yaseen who was killed in a US drone attack had been based in the Afghan province of Paktika. Will closing the common border crossing points stop them from sending their foot soldiers into Pakistan? That is more than doubtful. Closing borders is therefore no solution to fighting Afghanistan-based terrorism. The Pakistani-Afghan border is too long, too easily penetrable and is straddled by tribes distributed on both sides. Suicide-bombers don't have to come through Torkham or Chaman; they come from other parts of the border which are unprotected. Or their leaders have to only awake up their sleeper cells in Pakistan. The pragmatic approach to fight this menace would be greater political and military co-operation between the governments in Islamabad and Kabul. Let us hope that the "other important issues" the two sides are said to have discussed and agreed upon in London include at least some degree of co-operation. They have already exchanged lists of terrorists and the locations of terrorist hideouts are no more completely secret to them. They should now follow up on the London understanding and evolve a common strategy to fight terrorism. For far too long, the two sides have nurtured independent approaches to fight terrorism, but failed. The time has come for their now joining hands for peace on both sides.