Afghan attack: time to tighten the screws on Pak

Sunday’s suicide attack on an Afghan Sikh delegation in Jalalabad that was scheduled to meet President Ashraf Ghani was a grim reminder of the security situation in the war-torn country. At least 13 Sikhs, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, a prominent Sikh leader and a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary polls, and four Hindus died in the attack. While the Islamic State claimed responsibility, the intention to scare off a vibrant section of the minorities with roots in India was clear. According to an estimate, there are just about 1,000 Sikhs living in Afghanistan now as compared to 80,000 in the 1970s.

Jalalabad has often been a terror hotspot, more so because it is in Nangarhar province that borders Pakistan. Alluding to the scheming neighbour’s geopolitical designs, Afghan envoy to India Shaida Abdali said: “Afghanistan and India have been victims of terror from the same source.” But India has little leverage in Afghanistan against Pakistan’s use of terror as an instrument of state policy.

Just a few weeks ago, Ghani announced a unilateral Ramzan ceasefire in anti-terror operations mirroring India’s gesture towards terrorists in J&K. The offer was aimed at bringing the Taliban, the biggest player in the Afghan terror theatre, to the negotiating table. Much like India’s experience, the soft line bombed, forcing Ghani to withdraw the offer on June 30. Coaxing the Taliban to smoke the peace pipe can only be done by Pakistan, as most of its leadership has been operating out of safe houses there.

US diplomat Alice Wells indicated as much saying, “Right now it’s the Taliban leaders … who aren’t residing in Afghanistan, who are the obstacle to a negotiated political settlement.” Yet Pakistan isn’t willing to play ball, though the US has tried to cut off its funds tap and put it in the global doghouse for failing to curb terror financing, since all-weather friend China continues to act as a counterweight. The international community needs to do more to tighten the screws, like it did with North Korea, to make the rogue nation behave.