The armed forces of Pakistan have “serious concerns on the safe havens and liberty of action available to” the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan, the military’s media affairs wing said in a statement on Friday. The Inter-Services Public Relations’ (ISPR) statement came following Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir’s visit to Quetta Garrison where he was briefed on a recent attack on a military installation in Balochistan’s Zhob Cantt. A total of nine soldiers were martyred in the attack that took place on Wednesday while security forces killed five terrorists in retaliatory action. According to Zhob District Commissioner (DC) Azeem Kakar, a civilian woman was also killed in the incident after being caught in the crossfire while five other civilians were left injured. Today, the ISPR said, the army chief visited the soldiers injured in the attack at Combined Military Hospital, lauded their services and appreciated their resolve. He also paid “rich tribute[s]” to the martyrs, the statement added. In the statement, the military also expressed concern over the availability of “safe havens and liberty of action” to the TTP in Afghanistan and said, “It is expected that the interim Afghan government would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in the Doha agreement”. The agreement was signed in the Doha capital, Qatar, between the US and Afghan Taliban in February 2020 to bring an end to the 2001–2021 war in Afghanistan. The agreement ultimately led to the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan on Aug 15, 2021. Meanwhile, Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants for cross-border terrorism. The ISPR statement today also pointed to the involvement of Afghan nationals in incidents of terrorism in Pakistan. “The involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan is another important concern that needs to be addressed. Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit an effective response from the security forces of Pakistan,” it read. The statement added that “operations against terrorists would continue unabated and the armed forces shall not rest till the menace of terrorism is rooted out from the country”. Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the outlawed TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year. In addition to the attack on Zhob garrison, the militants also attacked security forces in Balochistan’s Sui, the ISPR said previously, adding, “During the fire exchange, three brave soldiers, having fought gallantly, embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while two terrorists were sent to hell during the operation.” The combined deaths of 12 soldiers from the attacks is the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year. In a press conference in June, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the security forces conducted 13,619 intelligence operations this year in which 1,172 terrorists were killed or arrested. “On a daily basis, over 77 operations are being carried out by armed forces, police, intelligence agencies, and other law enforcement agencies to rid of the menace of terrorism,” he said. DG Sharif added that 95 soldiers embraced martyrdom in these operations. More recently on Wednesday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch urged Afghan authorities during a weekly news briefing to fulfil their promises that their soil would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan. She said it was their responsibility to ensure that their land was not used against Pakistan, and Afghan authorities had accepted this responsibility on various occasions. Source: dawn.com

Pakistan Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ayaz Sadiq accused former prime minister Imran Khan of the resurgence of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and said that the dialogue initiated with the banned outfit by the previous Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government has "emboldened" the Taliban as they increased their footprint and activities in the country, the Dawn reported. While referring to rise in terror attacks and the dialogue with the banned outfit initiated by the PTI government last year, the PML-N leader said the nation had seen the result of Imran Khan's strategy of opening talks with the Taliban. "Imran Khan (while in power) did not curb terrorism. Rather he allowed negotiations with those who had martyred children at the Army Public School (in Peshawar). And now a new wave of terrorism has begun because of those negotiations," the Dawn reported. A document prepared by the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) presented to the Senate Standing Committee on Interior blamed the 'peace talks' with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for an increase in terror attacks across the country. "TTP, during peace talks process gained considerable ground; increased its footprint and magnitude of activities," the Nacta document said. It added the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan "gave impetus to TTP activities with its base [still] intact in Afghanistan". In an allusion to the resurgence of the terror outfit in Swat and adjoining areas, the report said the "presence [of TTP men] in Swat can be attributed to their efforts to gain pulse of locals and response by the state". The document termed the Malakand division "vulnerable" to terrorism due to its "central location and access to settled areas". The former Speaker also urged former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa to reveal his "role" in the 2018 general election in "ensuring" the victory of the PTI. He said the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) representatives said they were under pressure in 2018 to join the PTI. He said the support extended by Bajwa to Imran Khan when he was prime minister had never been given to any other premier in the past. But, the PTI chairman is "ungrateful to his benefactors" as he was now maligning the ex-COAS. He said Khan did the same thing to Aleem Khan and Jahangir Khan Tareen. He advised Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi to remain "vigilant" while doing favours to Imran Khan since his "characteristics cannot change as I know him since the 1960s". Sadiq further attacked Imran Khan for using the religious card in politics, abusing and victimising rivals, as well as preferring his personal interest over national interest. "The one who had been talking of the state of Madina committed corruption by taking away gifts from Toshakhana worth Rs6 billion, declaring one of them (in his tax statement) and devouring the rest. The claimants of the Madina state would neither steal nor conceal (one's wealth)," he added. He lamented that Imran Khan always foul-mouthed PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, who always addressed the PTI chairman decently. He alleged that Khan got spying cameras installed even in the bathrooms of the jail where Maryam Nawaz Sharif was imprisoned. The PML-N leader said those who brought Imran Khan to power were responsible for the financial damage caused to the country during the around four-year rule of PTI as the national debt doubled in the PTI regime, which took USD 44 billion in loans. In reply to a question, he said while listening to the conversation between Parvez Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi one "gets the impression that the PML-Q got just 20 seats" in return for a promise to dissolve the Punjab Assembly at the directives of Imran Khan. He, however, cautioned the 'Q' leadership that the crutches available during the 2018 polls would be missing in the next general elections and they as well as the PTI would have to stand on their own legs. In response to a question, the minister said if the PTI chairman intended to dissolve the Punjab and KP assemblies he would have done so at once after the announcement during a Pindi rally in November. He said that local government elections would be held in the month of April, while the general election would be held after Aug 15, 2023, when the assemblies would complete their five-year constitutional terms. As per the Nacta document, in August 2022, TTP militants held LEAs hostage in Swat's tehsil Matta and released them after 12 hours. In September 2022, militants fired on police in Swat. TTP also claimed responsibility for an IED attack on a vehicle in which a member of the Peace Committee and two policemen were martyred, the Dawn reported. The militants also abducted seven staffers of a cellular company and demanded at least Rs10 million in ransom.

To prevent Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) nexus, Pakistan on Tuesday formally endorsed the efforts aimed at seeking a peace deal with the banned organization TTP.   The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) was compelled to seek a peace deal with the group involved in some of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the country, according to the closed-door briefing, reported The Express Tribune.   A statement issued by the Pakistan PM Office said the Parliament’s Committee on National Security on Tuesday formally gave a go-ahead for continuing talks with the TTP.   A Parliamentary Oversight Committee will be formed to monitor the entire process. The meeting termed it a first step toward the “National Grand Reconciliation Dialogue”.   The development came after the military leadership told lawmakers that it was feared that the TTP might join hands with IS-K in an in-camera briefing for the members of parliament and other political leaders.   Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General Nadeem Anjum and Peshawar Corps Commander Lt General Faiz Hameed briefed the PCNS about the talks with the TTP, reported The Express Tribune.   The in-camera meeting was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and all other key political leaders. Fazlur Rehman, who is otherwise not a member of parliament, was also in attendance. Former prime minister Imran Khan was not invited to the meeting.   A participant of the meeting told The Express Tribune that Peshawar Corps Commander General Faiz Hameed gave a detailed briefing about the progress and background of the ongoing talks with the TTP.   Gen Faiz is heading the Pakistani team that held a series of meetings with TTP chief Noor Wali Masood in Afghanistan. The army chief answered most of the questions from the members of parliament and other participants.   According to the military leadership, if the TTP joins hands with IS-K, that would be devastating for the security of Pakistan, reported The Express Tribune.   Given the context of the ongoing talks, the meeting was told that it was Pakistan’s air strikes in April targeting the TTP hideouts in Afghanistan that pushed the Afghan Taliban to bring the TTP onto the negotiating table.   The air strikes were carried out after the TTP stepped up cross-border terrorist attacks leaving several Pakistani security personnel dead.   It emerged during the meeting that the TTP put forward a series of demands, including reversal of the FATA merger, withdrawal of all cases against their people and freedom to operate from the erstwhile tribal areas, reported The Express Tribune.   The meeting ruled that the final results would be implemented after completing the due process while strictly adhering to the Constitution and with the approval of the government. Source: The Print

Amid the ebb and flow of political order in the Pashtun belt, the Pakistani army is counting on Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) to carry the dirty work of muffling secular and nationalist struggles, primarily spearheaded by National Democratic Movement (NDM) and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM).   Senge Sering, President of Gilgit Baltistan Institute in Washington, writing in Baltimore Post-Examiner said that the Pakistani military’s unpromising tryst continues with the TTP, though the establishment initiated a major crackdown on the organization for massacring 132 students of a military-run school in 2014.   Two weeks ago, four members of the Youth of Waziristan became victims of terrorism. The Pashtuns are critical of military-militant collusion and resultant damage to the secular fabric. Mohsin Dawar, a Pakistani parliamentarian representing NDM, while referring to this incident called the peace talks with TTP futile with a disastrous impact on the tribal culture, reported Sering.   The military establishment foresees NDM and PTM launching a region-wide protest against the armistice agreement with TTP. Ali Wazir, the prominent PTM leader and parliamentarian from South Waziristan, remains a formidable challenge to Pakistan’s policy of employing terrorism for strategic benefits in Afghanistan.   In 2020, Wazir was framed and arrested for a purported hate speech crime. This is a cruel joke on a person who has dedicated an entire life to opposing extremism, hatred and bigotry. Many see the military’s hand in his incarceration which could be protracted to create a much-needed breathing space for TTP in the tribal districts, reported Baltimore Post-Examiner.   Past results show that conditional negotiations like these produce short-lived peace and often favor TTP’s expansion. In return for no (or fewer) attacks on its soldiers, army generals will surrender the safety and wellbeing of TTP’s political opponents as well as the freedoms of ethnic and religious minorities.   Studies show that TTP sanctions female education and necessitates forced marriages of minor girls in the areas they control. They also carry out attacks on artists and musicians in the name of enforcing Islamic laws, reported Sering.   On June 24, TTP released an official statement echoing its pledge to bring Pakistan under Sharia. The statement confirmed the fears of many Pashtun leaders since TTP rebuffed the precondition of surrendering weapons for talks.   While calling the Pakistani government and military western slaves, TTP also declined to submit to the constitution. Left with no wiggle room, the cash-strapped military generals will most likely follow through with the deal, said Sering.   At this juncture, a majority would place a wager on the dwindling ruling coalition of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to chime in, since they are desperate to preserve the fragile nexus with the military.   Moreover, the Taliban’s return to power is profiting both its long-standing allies and new friends. According to a recent UN report, the Al-Qaida (AQ) is able to reclaim safe havens in Afghanistan in the wake of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s growing bonhomie with the Taliban’s head, Hebatullah Akhundzada.   Taliban regime has also enlisted several UN-proscribed terrorists for the executive and high-ranking ministerial portfolios. The AQ is expected to join forces with the Pakistan-backed Haqqani Network to transform Afghanistan into the once-famed epicenter of terrorism. With a new lease on life, the Afghan Taliban is leveraged to mediate a truce between its Pakistani counterpart, the TTP and the Pakistani military.   Both Taliban and TTP desire to see Pakistan become a Sharia state and consider military establishment a major obstacle in their quest. Amidst the resurgence, TTP has restored contacts with the Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K), which is a growing concern for the military.   This is the absolute worst time to hand huge swaths of land to TTP and AQ especially when FATF is espoused to remove Pakistan from the grey list. Such myopic and malevolent tactics will only lead to large-scale ethnic violence and anarchy in the country. A deal with TTP, which has no intentions to shun the guns, is immature and leaves an entire region to the mercy of an international terrorist network, reported Baltimore Post-Examiner.   Source: ANI

Pakistan's banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for a hand grenade attack on a police check post in the Phandu region of Peshawar, said South Asia Media Research Institute (SAMRI). A total of 4 policemen were allegedly killed and injured in the attack. Taking to Twitter, SAMRI said, "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims responsibility for a hand grenade attack on a police check post in Phandu region of Peshawar. 4 policemen were allegedly killedinjured in the attack. 4 policemen were allegedly killedinjured in the attack."In January alone, several terrorist incidents rocked Pakistan as major cities including Islamabad and Lahore were targeted. On January 25, in an attack in Kech, Balochistan over 10 Pakistani military personnel were killed. Just over a week later, on February 2, the Noshki and Panjgur districts of the same province saw the killing of seven military personnel, including an officer. Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group in Balochistan, claimed the responsibility for the attack. They claimed to have killed "more than 100 enemy personnel" in Noshki and Panjgur. In another terrorist attack, unidentified motorcyclists shot a Christian priest and injured his companion in Peshawar. Police suspect the Islamic State (IS) to be behind the attack. These attacks were mostly carried out by banned outfits including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).   Source: ANI

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has returned to its violent ways in Pakistan, posing a major challenge to the Imran Khan government after the Taliban takeover as horrors of the Peshawar Army school attack still haunts Islamabad, a report said.   The TTP has returned to violent ways since 2014 and since the summer of last year, engaged with the authorities frequently and more menacingly as the number of attacks by the group has surged in recent months in Pakistan, said International Forum For Right And Security (IFFRAS).   After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, its victory made the TTP (Pakistani Taliban) galvanise and it stepped up attacks in Pakistan. The group has claimed to have carried out 32 attacks in August 2021 alone — the highest monthly figure this year. An attack on September 5 last year killed three Pakistani paramilitary forces, said IFFRAS.   Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been advocating ‘reconciliation’ with the TTP despite the constant attacks by the group in Pakistan.   Pakistan has been seeking the Taliban’s help against the TTP after Islamabad felicitated the Taliban to grab power in Afghanistan.   However, Islamabad appears to have seriously miscalculated its strategies, either deliberate or real – both are possible since the Taliban and the TTP enjoy considerable support from the society and even admirers among those holding key positions in the new regime in Kabul. Islamabad now realises that Kabul will do nothing to evict the TTP, their ideological brothers who had fought alongside them and helped in their victory, said IFFRAS.   The Imran government has been attempting to negotiate a truce with the TTP either through the Taliban or other ways as Islamabad is still feared of the Peshawar Army School attack by the TTP on December 16 in 2014 which had resulted in the deaths of 130 students.   Last month, Pakistanis remembered the attack with anger and mourning, and not just by parents and relatives of the dead children, members of civil society warned the Pakistan government against striking a “peace deal” with the TTP.   The TTP had created havoc in Pakistan with its several attacks between 2007-2014. The TTP members had fled to Afghanistan after Islamabad launched widescale operations against the group following the Peshawar attack. But the Taliban emergence to power have inspired the TTP and they have scaled up attacks in Pakistan targetting their forces and posing a major challenge to Islamabad despite their calls for negotiations, said IFFRAS.   Source: ANI