(Web Desk) – The 2018 agreement between the PTI-led government and Kabul, which involved the release of militants, has resulted in an increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan, a private media outlet has reported citing Senator Ishaq Dar.
Dar has called for an in-camera briefing in the Senate to understand the surge in terrorism and questioned the reasons behind the reversal of the policy in Kabul, leading to the release of numerous hardened terrorists.
Dar, a leader of the PML-N, recalled that the public became aware of this agreement only after seeing images of Pakistani officials negotiating in Kabul. He stressed that the situation did not end there, as a substantial number of hardened terrorists were released under the agreement.
The former finance minister called for clarification on the nature of this understanding, noting that the shift in the anti-terrorism policy occurred after the installation of the Taliban government.
Expressing regret, Dar highlighted their engagement and the subsequent release of terrorists from Pakistani prisons, contributing to a continuous upsurge in terrorist activities across the country, posing a threat to the safety of the populace.
Referring to the recent Mianwali incident, Dar advocated for a pragmatic approach to address the highly sensitive challenge, emphasising that the previous PML-N government effectively managed such situations through initiatives like Zarb-e-Azb and Operation Raddul Fassad.
Dar pointed out that there was a time when the international community doubted Pakistan's ability to combat terrorism, especially in the northern regions, even during General Musharraf's military regime.
However, he noted that in September 2013, a decision was made to launch operations against terrorism, with the PML-N government implementing a well-defined program to address economic issues, extremism, and the power crisis.
Dar urged the caretaker government to promptly provide an in-camera briefing on terrorism and requested data illustrating the significant decline in terrorist incidents from 2013 to 2018, followed by the policy change and subsequent engagement with terrorists.