The Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP) has declared that it will take “concrete actions” against Islamabad’s ruling party leaders.
THE STATEMENT
Al Jazeera accessed the statement released on Wednesday, which specifically targeted Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PMLN) chief Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
TTP spokesperson Muhammad Khorasani said that while the group has refrained from targeting political parties, the current leadership had instigated it by “declaring war” against the group to “please America.”
Tehreek E Taliban Pakistan (TTP) issue fresh threat against Pakistani ruling coalition of PPP and PMLN. TTP in a statement said if the ruling government doesn’t stop supporting Pakistan Army’s actions against TTP, then they would be forced to target them. pic.twitter.com/H0y1dP89L7
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 4, 2023
Referring to the Foreign Minister’s deceased mother Benazir Bhutto, the statement blamed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for “trying to quench the thirst for his mother by declaring America his mother.” In 2007, the TTP’s assailants assassinated Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi after she vowed to take down the group if elected.
The statement went on to say, “If these two parties remain firm on their position … then action will be taken against the leaders of these parties. People should avoid going near them.” Nevertheless, it maintained that TTP’s main target is security forces that “act against the country’s interest” and “upon [the] wishes of the West.”
It further warned religious groups against supporting the government’s actions against TTP.
PAKISTAN THREATENS ACTION
TTP’s threats come against the backdrop of a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting last Friday, wherein the government declared that it will have “zero tolerance for terrorism” and vowed to take action against the groups leading violent attacks in the country.
In December, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warned that Pakistan could “target the TTP in Afghanistan” if the Taliban does not act to “dismantle” the group. He said that the NSC had agreed on a “clearance operation” to target the militant organisation.
In response, the Afghan Defence Ministry released a statement on Tuesday rejecting the “provocative and baseless” allegations.
Tehreek E Taliban Pakistan in its 2022 annual report says that they killed 446 Pakistani soldiers in 367 attacks. Most operations (348) of TTP in KPK. Most attacks (69) in December after the ceasefire between Pakistan & TTP ended. Pakistan has faced most casualties from TTP/BLA. pic.twitter.com/FAqZFZPCbi
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 4, 2023
Subsequently, Pakistan led a military counterterrorism raid on Thursday and killed 11 TTP militants.
In addition, several Afghan media houses reported on Thursday that Pakistan fighter jets had conducted attacks on suspected TTP hideouts in the Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.
However, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch denied the media reports, calling them “utterly baseless and malicious.” The Taliban has not officially confirmed these claims either.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah ruled out the possibility of negotiation with TTP as past talks had failed. Instead, he said that Islamabad will talk to the interim Taliban government in Kabul.
INCREASING VIOLENCE IN PAKISTAN
Pakistan has witnessed an exponential rise in violent incidents after TTP unilaterally ended its ceasefire in November. In 2022, the group orchestrated 115 attacks, most of which occurred after August. In fact, there was a 44% rise in violence from November to December, during which 49 attacks killed 56 people.
A TTP fighter calls war on Pakistan “the Battle of Badr,” says Pakistani Taliban are waging jihad and will liberate Pakistan.
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) December 30, 2022
pic.twitter.com/aRlQUNREUI
Recently, TTP claimed responsibility for Thursday’s gun attack on two Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence officers outside a restaurant in Kanwal, Punjab.
Although TTP has ideological linkages with the Taliban, both groups allege that they operate separately. However, Pakistan has maintained that the TTP is its “red-line,” further warning that Islamabad’s relations with Kabul will be severely affected if the Taliban supports the group.
Nevertheless, the Taliban insists that it is keeping its promise to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for harbouring terrorism. To this end, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Thursday that the group’s fighters had killed eight ISIS members in Kabul and arrested seven others.
While Pakistan responded positively to these reports, it said it would confirm its official position after confirming these developments.