Achakzai: Afghanistan Not Responsible for TTP Activities

DID Press: Pakistani politician Mahmood Khan Achakzai has rejected claims that Afghanistan should be held responsible for the activities of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), arguing that Pakistan’s past policies of training and arming militants contributed to the security challenges it faces today.

Achakzai said responsibility for the TTP’s activities and the consequences of terrorism in Pakistan should not be attributed to Afghanistan.

Referring to Pakistan’s role during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, he said Pakistan trained and armed thousands of militants during that period.

According to Achakzai, based on statements attributed to former Pakistani military intelligence officer Colonel Imam, about 95,000 foreign fighters were trained in Pakistan.

The Pakistani politician argued that some of the insecurity and armed-group activity currently affecting Pakistan is a consequence of those earlier policies and the use of militant networks.

Achakzai called for greater attention to the historical roots of Pakistan’s security crisis rather than attributing current problems to Afghanistan. He also urged an examination of domestic policies that, in his view, contributed to the training, arming and expansion of militant networks inside Pakistan.