Pakistan not to tolerate cross-border terrorism: PM Shehbaz Sharif

Islamabad: Amidst a spike in terror attacks in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday asserted that his government will not tolerate any acts of cross-border terrorism and that his country would like to exist in peace with all its neighbours.

Days after what is now known as the Mir Ali attack in the restive northwest Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was addressing the first meeting of the apex committee – a top official civil-military body tasked to tackle militancy – since the new government came to power earlier in the month.

Pakistan is facing a renewed threat by militancy. Over the weekend, two Pakistan Army officers and five soldiers were killed in a terror attack at Mir Ali in the troubled northwest of the country.

Without naming any country, Sharif asserted that his country would not tolerate any cross-border terrorism from the neighbouring countries “under no circumstances.” The prime minister said that Pakistan would like to have peace with all neighbours and urged them to come and sit with Pakistan to devise a plan against terrorism “with sincerity of purpose work towards eradicating it.” “We want to exist in a very peaceful environment with our neighbouring brothers — do trade, commerce and expand our relations — but unfortunately, if a neighbour’s land is used for terrorism, this is intolerable” he stated.

The premier also hoped that “our neighbouring country will carefully consider my invitation.” There has been an uptick in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan since the Taliban took over the government in Kabul in 2021, dashing hopes in Islamabad that a friendly government in Afghanistan would help to tackle militancy.

According to an annual security report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, a think tank, Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations in 2023 — marking a six-year high record.

The latest incident saw Pakistani air force jets carry out intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations (IBOs) in the border regions of Khost and Paktika inside Afghanistan against terrorists launching attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil following the March 16 attack.

Pakistan accused terror organisation Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of allegedly hiding in Afghanistan, which in turn, responded by using heavy weapons, including mortars, to target troops across the border in Kurram and North Waziristan districts.

Recalling his visit to the family of an officer killed in the terrorist attack, Sharif quoted the father of 23-year-old Captain Ahmed Badar as saying: “Prime minister, terrorism must be eradicated.” “I also told him that we cannot tolerate this terrorism anymore. Pakistan’s borders are a red line against terrorism,” the prime minister said.