According to Iraf News Agency, in an interview with the “Geo News” Channel on Tuesday January 6, Khawaja Muhammad Asif declared that both the Taliban of Afghanistan and the TTP are unreliable, and that both have ties with India. Asif emphasized that Pakistan would respond reciprocally in the event of any aggressive action from India. The Defense Minister also claimed that officials in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region have allowed TTP members to extort money from the public.
Escalation of Border Tensions
This comes amid rising border tensions, with the spokesperson for the Pakistani military claiming that over the past 25 days, 4,910 intelligence operations (approximately 196 daily operations) had been conducted. He emphasized that, these operations have largely taken place inside Pakistan, where 90% of the TTP’s operational fighters are based, while the group’s leaders may be hiding in Afghanistan.
In response to these remarks, Zabihollah Mojahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government, condemned the comments from the Pakistani military spokesperson, calling them “irresponsible and provocative.”
Previously, after a suicide bombing at the Federal Police headquarters in Peshawar, Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, referring to the increase in cross-border attacks and the failure of negotiations with the Taliban, stated that; Islamabad has lost hope in the Taliban government, labeling it as “disorganized” and lacking in commitment.
The main point of these tensions is Islamabad’s accusation that the TTP has been using Afghan territory to launch cross-border attacks. Pakistan asserts that, the Taliban not only fails to prevent the TTP’s activities but has provided the group with shelter. However, the Taliban authorities have denied any support for the TTP.
In the recent border tensions, there have been significant casualties and the closure of commercial borders, causing financial losses to both countries. Three rounds of peace talks, held in Doha and Turkey, have also ended in failure.
