Michael Hughes: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted Pakistan’s ties to the Afghan Taliban have come back to haunt Islamabad. Although, for many, this is like saying the sky is blue, it is quite a development when such a statement emanates from a Pakistani official. The timing of the admission, of course, is too little, too late. But it also comes at a peculiar moment: in the wake of a terror attack by a group not linked to the Afghan Taliban.
On March 11, Baloch separatists attacked and hijacked a passenger train carrying 440 people about 100 miles from Quetta in the Pakistani province of Balochistan. After a 30-hour standoff, Pakistan’s military said 21 civilians were killed and security forces eliminated 33 attackers from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director, General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said the terrorists were in contact with their handlers and “masterminds” in Afghanistan during the operation via satellite phone. He also claimed the terrorist attack was sponsored by India. The ISPR in a separate statement called on the Taliban government to prevent the BLA from using Afghan territory for terrorist activities against Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities have often tried to link the BLA and TTP, especially when both outfits launch terror attacks around the same time. However, I have seen no independent verification that the BLA has ever coordinated efforts with the TTP or Afghan Taliban.