Pakistan's strategy to target Afghan refugees as leverage against Taliban
Taliban government concede its demands for action against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatists, the Pakistan government has decided to target Afghan refugees on its soil as a leverage to pressurise the Taliban regime. Pakistan realises that without improvement in its internal security situation, the country will not be able to come out of the economic morass in which it finds itself.
In fact, Chinese President Xi Jinping categorically told Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan, in Beijing on October 19, the need for ensuring safety and security of Chinese institutions and personnel for further enhancement of projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Pakistan hopes that its decision to deport Afghans would attract the attention of the international community, particularly the United States, back to the region. In the past, the US had helped Pakistan immensely by taking out the TTP leadership through drone strikes. Three chief commanders of TTP, including its founder Baitullah Mehsud, were eliminated in those strikes.
But now, in a clever move, TTP is repeatedly making it clear that it has no international or regional agenda. It was only interested in fighting against Pakistani security forces on their soil demanding implementation of sharia in the erstwhile tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This posturing has helped TTP to stay away from the US radar.
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