ISLAMABAD: A United Nations report has singled out Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a network of foreign militants based in Afghanistan that has “benefitted the most” from the fall of Ashraf Ghani’s administration in Kabul last year, saying the group’s activities have been posing significant threat to Pakistan.
Afghanistan witnessed a change of government in August 2021 when the international forces evacuated the country after maintaining their presence for nearly two decades and the Taliban seized control of Kabul. TTP militants, or the Pakistani Taliban, are ideologically inspired by the current rulers of Afghanistan, though their network continues to have a separate identity.
Pakistan has repeatedly warned against cross-border attacks launched by TTP operatives, though its administration has periodically launched peace talks with the network’s leadership.
“TTP constitutes the largest component of foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan,” the UN report, mentioned by Pakistan’s Associated Press of Pakistan news agency, said.
“TTP has arguably benefited the most of all the foreign extremist groups in Afghanistan from the Taliban takeover,” the report added. “It has conducted numerous attacks and operations in Pakistan.”
The report was released on Friday by a UN Security Council monitoring team for Afghanistan. While the team has brought out extensive reports on Afghanistan in the past as well, its recent assessment of the country is the first since the Taliban takeover.
The release of the document also coincides with a new round of peace talks between Pakistan and TTP leadership which began earlier this month.
According to media reports, the TTP also announced a cease-fire for Eid holidays, asking its members “not to violate the decision taken by the central command,” before extending it for a few more days.
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Sunday the UN report maintained such “cease-fire deals have a limited chance of success.”
“TTP also continues to exist as a stand-alone force, rather than feeling pressure to merge its fighters into Afghan Taliban units, as is the prospect for most foreign terrorist fighters,” the newspaper said while quoting a passage from the UN report.