Pakistan and US Unite Against ISKP
Pakistan and US Unite Against ISKP
The extradition of the Pakistani bomber who attacked the Abbey Gate of London to the United States is a milestone of the world war against terrorism. This major step does not only provide an element of justice to the people who were the victims of the recent Kabul Airport incident of 2021, but it also cements a new alliance between the two countries of Pakistan and United States of America to address the issue of transnational terrorism. The discourse is loud and clear to the terror groups such as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), that the acts of terror cannot be ignored, and state actors are ready to put aside all the diplomatic technicalities in favour of an equally important purpose, security and justice.
The Abbey Gate attack, conducted by ISKP on the hectic evacuation of the US troops in Afghanistan, killed 13 members of the US Navy and almost 170 civilians in Afghanistan. It was a representation of the ever-present threat by extremist groups that were active in the region. To Pakistan, which is geographically located at the intersections of South and Central Asia, the incident and its surrounding were a litmus experiment of the country strategic preferences. By re-rendering the major suspect, Pakistan has not only shown cooperative attitude but also strengthened its long-standing attitude that there should be no terrorism in all its facets.
A Common Enemy
The Islamic State Khorasan Province has become a greater threat to the stability of the region as terrorists indiscriminately target the civilians, security forces as well as diplomacy missions within Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISKP also has a more internationalist version of jihadism compared to the Taliban in Afghanistan with a tendency to confront not only state authorities but also other rebel organizations. It has carried out spectacular attacks against Kabul and Peshawar among other locations that raise concerns of the increasing ability of the group to carry out attacks.
Pakistan has been raising issues of the cross-border terrorism especially accusing the Afghan soil of sheltering the actors that are able to perpetrate violence in its territory. The demands by Islamabad to act against these non-state actors were met with deaf ears on the part of the others more so after the Taliban re-action in Afghanistan in 2021. Nonetheless, the re-emergence of the Abbey Gate bomber indicates that Pakistan is ready to be active in eliminating threats that have gone beyond its borders and threaten the peace of the world at large.
From Strategic Ambiguity to Strategic Clarity
Pakistan has long been criticized most based on its so-called strategy of strategic depth in Afghanistan accused of never-ending support of some militant groups to maintain influence in region. A departure of that narrative, however, came about when the government decided on the transfer of a high profile ISKP operative. It demonstrates that Pakistan is no longer focusing on geopolitics and gamesmanship as old-fashioned, but it is considering the security interests of the two regional powers and international cooperation with them instead.
Such a step is also in line with changes in the doctrine of counterterrorism in Pakistan. Concerted efforts in the fight against terror like in the case of Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad have already taken down big terror networks in the country. These measures, accompanied by newer intelligence-sharing systems, as well as legislative initiatives, demonstrations of a re-ensured readiness to participate in comprehensive counter-terrorist arrangements, on both foreign and domestic grounds.
Recalibrating US-Pakistan Relations
US-Pakistan relationship has been swinging like a pendulum where cooperation and mistrust has been a disturbing mix especially in post-9/11 relationships. Although both countries were on the same side in the War on Terror, interests in Afghanistan, allegations of duplicity, and irregular diplomatic activity drove a wedge between the two countries. But there is a reality check with the alleged Abbey Gate bomber returning.
Such collaboration sends a signal that even the historical animosity that existed, the two countries can still meet equal grounds as far as common security goals are concerned. It also creates new opportunities to intensify cooperation in the areas of sharing of intelligence, security on the border and counter-extremism measures. Washington is focused on making sure that Afghanistan does not once again become a terrorism haven, and in that regard, Islamabad becomes a partner that can no longer be reluctant.
A Template for Future Cooperation
People should not regard it as the one-off incident but rather as a possible pattern of future collaboration between Pakistan and the world. The war on terrorism is not over yet. Terrorist organizations such as ISKP, Al-Qaeda, and their associates use loosely guarded borders, lawless areas, and radicalism-based ideologies to attract and carry out their activities. These challenges might be resolved with the help of the evolving status that is held by Pakistan as a strategic partner and a frontline state.
The development also holds open the prospect of the multilateral discussions as between the US, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other parties at stake. Such bilateral achievements may pay off in regional arrangements such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which utilise successes as a launching pad to broader consensus building on approaches to counter terrorism.
