Nato’s leftover weapons behind terror surge, claims ex-PM Kakar

ISLAMABAD, JAN 14 (DNA): Providing an insight regarding the country’s security situation, former caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said that the surge in terror incidents is linked to the proliferation of the weapons left by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) in neighbouring Afghanistan.

“We cannot afford to leave this region like the Americans left Afghanistan. If it takes a century to fight terrorism, Pakistan will do so. This is not just a battle against militants; it’s a fight for regional stability,” Kakar said during the launch of the Comprehensive National Security Profile 2024 by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) at the Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad.

Kakar further said that the weaponry and gadgets which have now fallen into the hands of militants pose a serious security threat to the region.

“In 2014, terrorism wasn’t defeated — it merely relocated to Afghanistan. When the environment became conducive, militants struck back. We must discourage the phenomenon of rationalising terrorism under any pretext,” he added.

His remarks are to be taken in the context of the confirmation by the Pentagon which has acknowledged that out of the 427,300 weapons that Washington had provided to the Afghan forces, around 300,000 weapons were “left behind” when its forces withdrew from the wartorn country in August 2021.

The statement also comes against the backdrop of concerning statistics which show that 2024 turned out to be the deadliest for the country’s civil and military security forces in a decade with at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks, according to “CRSS Annual Security Report 2024” issued by Centre for Security and Strategic Studies.

The overall fatalities recorded the previous year were a record 9-year high and over 66% more than in 2023. On average, nearly seven people lost their lives daily.

The nation has been reeling under rising violent attacks since the Taliban rulers returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan.

Islamabad has time again called on Kabul not to allow its territory to be used by terrorist groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban and others to carry out attacks against Pakistan.

The issue of use of foreign weaponry by terrorists has been highlighted multiple times with Pakistan complaining of modern weapons falling into the hands of militants owing to the hasty withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan — a claim vehemently denied by Washington.

There have been multiple attacks where Pakistani security forces have recovered US-made weapons from killed terrorists.Apart from weapons, another area of concern is terror financing as highlighted by US Congressman Tim Burchett in his letter to President-elect Donald Trump — who is set to be sworn in as the country’s president on January 20.

“I write to express my strong concerns with foreign aid being funnelled to the [Afghan] Taliban. [….] The US should not fund its enemies abroad,” wrote the US lawmaker earlier this month.

Burchett, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s confirmation during the 118th Congress that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had paid nearly $10 million of foreign aid to the Taliban in taxes, also warned that the cash shipments were impossible to track after being auctioned off.

“This is how the Taliban is being funded and plans to fund terrorism around the world,” he concluded.

Army vows decimation of hostile elements

The Pakistan Army, in light of the increased terrorist attacks, has vowed to decimate hostile elements, with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir warning of decisive and overwhelming force against any attempt to disturb the peace.

“The enemy may try to sow discord and fear, but we will not relent. Hostile elements will be dealt with an iron hand. They will continue to suffer heavy losses, and their capacity to inflict harm will be decimated,” said the army chief on his visit to Peshawar during which he was provided with a comprehensive briefing on the prevailing security situation and the ongoing counter-terrorism operations targeting “Fitna Al Khwarij” — a reference to the outlawed TTP.

COAS General Munir’s statement came a short while after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the elimination of 27 terrorists by the security forces during an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Kacchi district.

During the conduct of the operation, troops “stealthily surrounded and effectively engaged the terrorists who were were involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as innocent civilians and were highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies.

Multiple hideouts, including caches of arms, ammunition and explosives, were also destroyed during the operation, added the military’s media wing.