Afghan Taliban ask Pakistan to hold talks with TTP?

ISLAMABAD: Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) leadership has asked Pakistan to hold a dialogue with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) because it is unable to expel from Afghanistan the terrorists of the outfit banned by Pakistan in 2008.

The TTP launched numerous terror attacks on security personnel at great loss of life and property in Pakistan, well-informed sources told Business Recorder on condition of anonymity.

The sources added that Zarb-e-Azb launched in June 2014 was successful in containing terror attacks with TTP forced to take refuge in Afghanistan however recent high profile attacks have been linked to TTP, and are a source of great worry to the government and establishment.

The sources further said that Pakistan has raised the issue of TTP's involvement in various attacks on security forces as well as civilians with the Afghan government at the highest level time and again, but also with the TTA.

The Afghan government has been excusing itself from going against the anti-Pakistan militant outfits citing its weak writ in eastern areas such as Kunar and Nuristan along the border with Pakistan where the TTP leadership and militants are believed to be taking refuge.

"The TTA recently expressed its inability to take any action against the TTP or expel them from Afghanistan or make their continued stay in Afghanistan conditional on not using Afghan soil to launch terror attacks against Pakistan. Instead, the TTA has said Pakistan should hold dialogue with the TTP," a source privy to the development said on condition of anonymity.

The sources said that the government of Pakistan is particularly concerned over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, as the TTP militants may take advantage of the security vacuum across the border and may also enter into the country in the garb of Afghan refugees.

In case of further deterioration of the situations in Afghanistan, the government has estimated an influx of around 650,000 to 750,000 refugees.

The TTP militants fled to neighbouring Afghanistan when Pakistani Army launched a decisive operation, Zarb-e-Azb on June 15, 2014, and since then has carried out a number of terrorist attacks, particularly on security forces either through sleeper cells or cross border attacks.

The government of Pakistan proscribed the TTP on August 25, 2008. The TTP emerged as a stronger group after the reunification of various splinter groups under its current chief Wali Mehsud, who succeeded Mullah Fazalullah in 2018 when he was killed in a US drone attack.

The UN Security Council in its report by the UN monitoring team responsible for tracking terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS in February this year, also expressed its concerns at TTP activities and noted the reunification of splinter groups of the TTP in Afghanistan as a point of concern.

"Five entities pledged alliance to TTP in July and August [2020], including the Shehryar Mehsud Group, Jamaat ul Ahrar (JuA), Hizbul Ahrar, the Amjad Farooqi group and the Usman Saifullah group [formerly known as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi]," stated the UN Security Council's report.

The report cautioned that the aforementioned reunification "enhanced the threat of terrorism" to not only Pakistan but the entire region since it has "increased the strength of [the] TTP and resulted in a sharp increase in attacks."

"TTP was responsible for more than 100 cross-border attacks between July and October 2020," stated the report and further estimated the TTP's fighting strength to range from 2,500 and 6,000 members.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021