Pakistan and Taliban confuse on sanctuaries of TTP, a designated terrorist group

Pakistan urged Taliban leaders in Afghanistan to explain their relationship with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), following an increase in their attacks on Pakistani soil.

Pakistani officials say that TTP enjoys safe sanctuaries on the Afghan soil and orchestrate its attacks from there that have claimed the lives of hundreds of security forces and civilians in the recent months. TTP formally claimed credit for most of the attacks in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistani media reported that Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) carried out separate attacks, stopping vehicles and executing at least 39 passengers. This was the deadliest attack by the anti-government militants in the country in recent years that shows the brutality of the attack.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that TTP is orchestrating attacks against Pakistan from Afghanistan, which is under the control of the Taliban. His remark came after Balochistan attacks, Sharif told his cabinet meeting that “the planning of TTP armed attacks from Afghanistan is no longer a secret.”

Sharif had warned that his government will take decisive action to tame TTP while the Taliban denied harboring TTP militants and said Afghanistan does not support any group, including TTP. Sharif said that they will provide the military with whatever resources they need against TTP and emphasized that “there is no place for terrorism.

Pakistan vows to continue fight against terrorism till its complete eradication 

Condemning the recent violence by labeling the perpetrators as “terrorists” Sharfi said “the fight against terrorism will continue until they are completely eradicated from the country.”

In the past Sharif also pointed out to the TTP attacks which is being mastermind from Afghanistan soil and had recently called on the Taliban government to take immediate action to improve security on the bordering areas.

Pakistani Taliban, TTP fighters.

However, the perspective about TTP inside the Taliban government in Afghanistan is totally different and they say that TTP is an internal issue of Pakistan.

Pakistan accuses Taliban of having a strong tie with TTP and asked Kabul to come clean about their image as ideological cousins of TTP. Pakistan also says that TTP is a major problem that has been hampering the bilateral relation between Kabul and Islamabad.

Taliban Army Chief, Qari Fasihuddin Fitra rejected allegations that TTP is based in Afghanistan, or the group is orchestrating attacks on Pakistan by using the Afghan land.

Fitrat said that there is no evidence to prove that TTP is present in Afghanistan, adding “TTP is having bases in Pakistani soil and they control some areas there from which they launch attacks inside the country.”

When the Taliban took power in August 2021, the TTP leaders publicly pledged allegiance to the Taliban. Before the Taliban victory, the TTP leaders provided safe hideouts to the Taliban leaders and commanders in Pakistani soil and also provided recruits to support their war against the US forces in Afghanistan.   

Taliban says TTP control several areas in Pakistani soil

A Taliban official said that TTP has several areas under control, and they can easily target Pakistani security forces and other targets from there. “During our war against US-led forces and US-supported the then Afghan forces, we were inside Pakistan and the TTP had large areas under their control in different areas in Balochistan and Waziristan. Still, they have and operate from there,” the official told Harici on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the UN had described TTP as the largest terrorist group in Afghanistan with an estimated strength of 6,000 to 6,500 fighters. In its recent report, the UN expressed concerns that increased collaboration between TTP and al-Qaeda could transform the TTP into an extra regional threat. “Al-Qaeda’s support of TTP includes the sharing of Afghan fighters for its tashkils (military formations) and training camps in Afghanistan,” the report added.

The report also detailed how the Taliban exerts pressure on the TTP through funding, allegedly providing 3.5 million Afghanis ($50,500) monthly to TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud. The Taliban also reportedly directed Mehsud to secure additional revenue from donors.

The UN report furthered that over two dozen terrorist groups still operate in Afghanistan, enjoying freedom of movement under the “de-facto authorities” with oversight from the Taliban spy agency, General Directorate of Intelligence.