By Mian Majid Ali Afzal
We Did Not Expect This
We did not expect an act like India’s from Afghanistan. The time has gone astray its chance to vanquish Pakistan. Now nothing can happen. When Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups, who were scattered from Karachi to Peshawar, Gwadar to Lahore, could not weaken Pakistan, what would they do now as a few survivors? At that time, our missile range was just a few miles away, and Pakistan had limited capabilities. China did not have such great economic power at all times, nor was its defense posture. Pakistan’s relations with China, Russia, KSA and other regional countries were not as strong as now. Today, Pakistan has strategic relations and intelligence-sharing ties with them.
Improved Circumstances and Military Strength
The circumstances have improved. Now Pakistan’s Air Force is quite robust, with a mix of modern and advanced aircraft. They have recently showcased their JF-17 Thunder Block-III, a 4.5-generation multi-role fighter jet with state-of-the-art avionics and beyond visual combat capabilities. Remember, in the region of Afghanistan and her so-called supporting elements, their base is on a direct target of Pakistani missiles, where they do not have any proper defense shields. Today, Afghanistan and its forces are in a defeated state and the economy is near to break because major global powers do not support her. On the other hand, surprisingly, the Pakistani army has increased its power in the face of all the wars.
Military Modernization and Deterrence
Pakistan’s Air Force and Intelligence services are key components of its national security. The Air Force has a range of capabilities, including fighter jets and drones. Pakistan has one of the best intelligence-sharing systems in the region. Also remember, Pakistan has its own drone (Burraq) which could target the enemy with a lot of accuracy.
Steps Pakistan Should Take
In response to Afghanistan’s blunder reply, Pakistan should take some steps. Pakistan should try to set up a global definition of “terrorism” with USA, Russia and China, so that terrorists can be determined and the difference between war freedom and terrorism can be clear. The Government of Pakistan should announce that if any cross-border attacks by Afghan forces or drone strikes from any proxies in Pakistan come into existence, we will retaliate immediately.
Pakistan’s foreign office should do more homework on effective border management, intelligence sharing, and a modern Pak-Afghan border surveillance system. However, Pakistan has evidence of who has backed this exercise. If there is any effort to fight Pakistan, then, Inshallah, any regional country and its interests will face the consequences of war immediately.
The writer is the author of “The Reforms” and serves as a Strategic and Administrative Adviser on South Asia Affairs for a CPEC-based project in Islamabad. He is also a Strategic Communication Adviser at the Institute of Strategic Communication & Economic Studies (ISCES). He can be reached at mianmajid582@gmail.com