Pakistan’s Unyielding Fight For Global Security – OpEd

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Pakistan has become one of the leading fronts combating terrorism. The nation has lost countless soldiers and spent a great deal of financial resources to eradicate the networks of extremism, which pose a great danger to regional and international security. Although there were continuous doubts regarding Pakistan, it has never given up to combat terrorism and emerges as a valuable partner for the peace of the world.

When it comes to war on terror, Pakistan has paid a huge price. More than 83,000 people have been killed in the country since 2001, among them were ordinary citizens, military personnel, and police officers. Unlike many nations which have participated and supported the counter-terrorism campaign from a distance, Pakistan has been in the front line of this war where its citizens have lost their precious lives.

Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi are some of the cities which have experienced heinous acts of terrorism, to an extent that 132 school children were killed in Army Public School Peshawar in 2014. Such acts of violence have only made Pakistan stand firmer in its position not only in the fight against terrorism, but also for the assurance of global security.

Pakistan’s armed forces have conducted some of the most extensive counterterrorism operations in terms of the contemporary period. The military operation called Operation Zarb-e-Azb initiated in June 2014 and continued till June 2016 was an effective operation against militants’ havens at the Pak Afghan border areas. It was successful in neutralizing major hideouts of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al-Qaeda, which in turn affected their striking capacities greatly.

Moreover, Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad 2017 has included urban areas, targeted the remaining sleeper cells, and eradicated the terrorist’s financial sources. These operations were not only kinetic, but they also incorporated a process of demobilization, or efforts to reintegrate and rehabilitate the former militants into the civil population. Pakistan has been successful in conducting kinetic and non-kinetic operations, which have proven to be a model of counterterrorism strategy for the world to emulate.

It is important to note that the ease of border porosity also promotes cross border terrorism and in this context the Pakistan Government stepped up the task of fencing the border line of around 2600 kilometres with Afghanistan. This achievement has significantly lowered the penetration of terrorist groups. Pakistan has improved intelligence cooperation with partners across the globe by supplying information that has helped prevent many terror attacks.

Nevertheless, these efforts have been countered by an aggression from the country’s eastern neighbour namely India through state-sponsored terrorism. Kulbhushan Jadhav was an Indian RAW agent caught red-handed while being involved in espionage activities against Pakistan and planning acts of terrorism in Balochistan and Karachi. They not only endanger the security of Pakistan, but they also jeopardize the counterterrorism process around the world. Furthermore, the FATF was particularly harsh on Pakistan as it retained the country in the grey list even after years of improvement in the fight against terror financing. Such politicized scrutiny overlooks the concrete achievements in promoting the cause of peace and security in the world. Pakistan remains steadfast regardless of the challenges it faces on multiple fronts. Its military and intelligence agencies keep on working with counterparts in the global community to neutralize any threats to national and international security.

It is not only the fight of Pakistan, but for the whole world, as the country is fighting with terrorism for the peace of the world. It has become, rightfully, synonymous with the blood of its martyrs and the struggles and hardships of its people and its economy in the fight against terrorism. While western countries debate on counter-terrorism strategies from the comfort of their offices, living rooms and parliaments, Pakistan has been at the receiving end of this war.

Terrorism is a menace of international proportion, and Pakistan has been at the frontline in combating the vice.