Resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan proving fatal for Pakistan as TTP gaining leverage across country: Report

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 6 (ANI): The resurgence of Taliban in Pakistan proving fatal for Pakistan as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is once again gaining leverage not only in the tribal zones of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan but also in far of places, Afghan Diaspora Network reported.

TTP terrorists stormed the Karachi Police Chief’s office on February 17, resulting in hours-long combat between terrorists and various law enforcement agencies which claimed the lives of four people. The attack shows the level of impunity exercised by TTP in Pakistan. TTP has warned of more attacks against law enforcement officers, a day after this attack. In a statement, TTP said that police personnel should stay away from war, as per the news report.

In the statement, TTP said, “The policemen should stay away from our war with the slave army, otherwise the attacks on the safe havens of the top police officers will continue.” It is not the first time that Karachi suffered at the hands of TTP terrorists.
In 2011, TTP had claimed the attack on PNS Mehran, one of the most densely populated naval bases located in Karachi, as per the Afghan Diaspora Network report. Ten security personnel died in the attack and two US-manufactured surveillance planes were also destroyed.

Three years later, TTP attacked on June 2014 attacked the Jinnah International Airport of Karachi which claimed lives of 24 people. Siince the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, TTP have been on a rampage across Pakistan. TTP has been attacking various police personnel, police stations, check posts etc. TTP finally ended the ceasefire with the Pakistani government on November 28, 2022, as per the news report.

Even before the ceasefire ended, hundreds of TTP militants had returned to their former strongholds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as per the news report. In addition, the TTP is also very much involved in extorting money. TTP is using phone numbers with the +93 code, which denotes an Afghan SIM card, to extort money from powerful and rich individuals in Pakistan.

One of the reasons for the resurgence of the Taliban in Pakistan is the state-sponsored dubious policy of “Good Taliban versus Bad Taliban, Afghan Diaspora Network reported. The Pakistani establishment has always been at loggerheads with the TTP or the Bad Taliban. Pakistan through this strategy seeks a pliable, Islamist power across its western border in Afghanistan – the Good Taliban, as per the Afghan Diaspora Network report. However, the TTP is considered a terrorist menace.

On February 2, the Pakistani government asked the Taliban to take ‘concrete actions’ against terrorist outfits. including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating out of the neighboring country after the terrorist attack in Peshawar.
Pakistan expects cooperation from the Taliban to address the challenge of terrorism and hopes that Kabul would live up to the commitments made to the international community in this regard.