‘Pak’s Frankenstein (terror) monster has come back to haunt it’

It noted that the problem lies with the paradigm espoused by Pakistan’s security establishment that looks on India as an arch enemy and Afghanistan as its backyard.

“In pursuit of a flawed security policy premised on this paradigm,the security establishment has put its entire stakes in the ‘strategic assets’,i.e. religious extremist militants,purposely created to fight as proxies in India and Afghanistan,” it said.

The editorial stated that the proliferation of jihadis and their activities on Pakistani soil has obliterated the difference between the ‘good Taliban’ and ‘bad Taliban’.

“Arguably,there are jihadi elements or sympathisers within the armed forces,who believe in the overthrowing of the state for the establishment of an ‘Islamic’ caliphate in Pakistan and elsewhere,” it observed.

“After a series of recent incidents,no one should doubt that we are facing a Frankenstein’s monster that has come back to haunt us. We must brace to deal with this monster and,in addition to carrying out internal purges amongst the security forces,dismantle the jihadi networks and block their sources of funding,” said the editorial.

It opined that Pakistan should focus on developing friendly relationships based on mutual respect with all its neighbours,including Afghanistan,and added: “No one has been able to control the Afghans,nor should Pakistan harbour this dream at the expense of its own security and survival.”

The editorial also stressed that the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) should take into account the overall security policy,not just its political aspects.

“In addition to evolving a plan to safeguard our military bases and strategic assets,the government and the military must redouble their efforts to get to the bottom of the jihadi nexus and smash it,” it added.