ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday announced it would launch a Ramadan offensive against security forces, after claiming an attack which the military said killed at least six of its soldiers.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a separate movement that shares common roots with the militants that took power in Afghanistan last year, have stepped up attacks in recent months.
The government held a series of talks with the militants late last year before an agreed truce collapsed.
The spring offensive will begin on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, starting on Sunday or Monday, and will target security forces and their collaborators, Mohammad Khorasani, spokesman for TTP militant group said in a statement.
"This operation will include martyrdom (suicide) operations, ambush attacks, mine operations, counter-attacks, target attacks, laser and sniper operations," he added.
The TTP are pressuring the government to allow militants to return to their hometowns with impunity after foreign fighters were told by the Afghan Taliban to leave Afghanistan.
A spring offensive is a rare move by the TTP.
It comes after the country's armed forces said militants attempted to storm a compound in the border region near Afghanistan, killing at least six Pakistani troops.
The attack was claimed by TTP, who said they had killed or wounded more than 30 soldiers.
The militants often exaggerate their gains, while the military's public relations department also plays down losses or delays reporting them.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Imran Khan was facing a no-confidence vote -- the biggest challenge to his power since becoming leader in 2018.
Pakistan's restive border region has long been a stronghold for groups such as the TTP, which operates across the porous boundary with Afghanistan.
The group plunged the country into a period of horrific violence after forming in 2007, before a major crackdown in 2014 forced them into hiding across the border.
But since the Taliban's takeover of Kabul, the local group has become emboldened and carried out dozens of such attacks on Pakistan's soil.
The TTP and Islamabad agreed to a truce in November.
But it failed on December 10, with the hardliners accusing the government of violating the terms of the truce.
Pakistani Taliban announce Ramadan offensive against security forces
https://arab.news/4cukm
Pakistani Taliban announce Ramadan offensive against security forces
- The government held a series of talks with the militants late last year before an agreed truce collapsed
- The TTP wants Pakistan to allow militants to return to their hometowns Afghan Taliban asked foreign fighters to leave
Pakistan pushes for Chinese investment in export-oriented sectors
- China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with its exports to Islamabad standing at $19.62 billion in 2024
- Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi holds meetings with honorary investment councilors in China
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi met honorary investment councilors (HIC) this week to review their role in advancing trade and people-to-people linkages, urging them to mobilize investments from Beijing in Islamabad’s export-oriented sectors, the Press Information Department (PID) said.
Pakistan views China as an important strategic ally and investment partner, which has funneled billions of dollars into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure project for over a decade.
China is also Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with its exports to Pakistan surging from $16.67 billion in 2023 to $19.62 billion in 2024, as per official data.
Hashmi held private meetings with HICs in China on Monday and a working luncheon to take stock of their work, strengthen coordination and set priorities for 2026, the PID said in a press release.
“He encouraged them to synergize their efforts with Pakistan’s national development priorities and mobilize Chinese investments in export-oriented sectors of Pakistan,” the statement said.
The Pakistani ambassador urged the HICs to prioritize channeling investments in 21 priority sectors of the economy through joint ventures to boost productive capacities, calling on them to integrate investments with human capital development.
Hashmi informed the HICs that the two business-to-business investment conferences held in Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Beijing, as well as six sectoral investment roadshows since last year cumulatively yielded the signing of over 300 memoranda of understanding and 25 joint ventures worth $11 billion.
“The HICs welcomed the initiative to convene focused annual review by the ambassador, marking the beginning of an institutionalized engagement with the HICs,” the press release said.
“They shared their plans for 2026 and expressed resolve to lend their full support to the embassy’s economic diplomacy agenda, especially the enhancement of Chinese investments in Pakistan and an increase in Pakistani exports to China, while boosting bilateral cooperation in these mutually beneficial areas.”
