Enemies Back TTP Through Afghan Taliban, Says Pakistan PM
Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, has again voiced concern over what he described as coordination and an alliance between the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, has again voiced concern over what he described as coordination and an alliance between the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He said that Pakistan’s enemies are supporting the Pakistani Taliban through Afghan territory.
Speaking on Friday at a meeting with religious scholars, Sharif said Pakistan’s long-standing wound of terrorism had reopened and that hostile forces were aiding the TTP via the Afghan Taliban.
He said that while Afghan Taliban representatives deny links with the TTP in direct talks, Islamabad possesses solid and documented evidence showing that resources and facilities are being provided to the group through Afghanistan.
Sharif described the alleged alliance between the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as one of the most alarming consequences of the current situation, adding that just as Pakistan defeated militants in 2018, it would confront them again.
Referring to the armed forces, the prime minister said Pakistan’s military had consolidated its position as a major regional power and had delivered what he called a historic lesson to India last year. He also stressed the need for national unity and internal cohesion to address Pakistan’s security challenges.
The Afghan Taliban have consistently denied cooperating with the TTP. After clashes between the two sides and the failure of several rounds of talks mediated by Doha, Istanbul and Saudi Arabia, Taliban leaders, under pressure from those countries, said at a meeting in Kabul that they oppose the use of Afghan soil by foreign militants to attack other countries, without explicitly naming Pakistan.
Taliban spokesmen have also said individuals they describe as Waziristani migrants have been relocated from border areas to other parts of Afghanistan. The group denies an organised TTP presence in the country, describing the individuals as Pakistani migrants.
Pakistani officials, however, have repeatedly said such measures are insufficient and have called on the Afghan Taliban to provide clear, written guarantees to prevent militant attacks against Pakistan.
