Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah recently warned the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan that his country could carry out cross-border military actions against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or the Pakistani Taliban, on Afghanistan soil, if Kabul did not deliver on their demands to crack down on TTP hideouts.
“Afghanistan is our brotherly country and we will first talk to them to dismantle the TTP hideouts, but if they don’t then the international laws give you the right to target those who attack you,” Sanaullah said to a Pakistani newspaper.
Kabul quickly responded with a slam.
Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban’s spokesperson, rejected Sanaullah’s threats of cross-border actions on TTP sanctuaries as “provocation” and “baseless”.
“It damages the good relations between the two neighboring and brotherly countries with such claims by Pakistani officials despite the existence of evidence indicating that the (TTP) centers are inside Pakistan,” Taliban’s defense ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter.
“Afghanistan is not without its owner, as always, we are ready to defend the territorial integrity and independence of our homeland, and it is mentionable that we have a better experience than anyone in defending and protecting our country.”
Pakistan has long accused the Taliban of harboring members of the TTP in Afghanistan from where the group reportedly plans and coordinates to carry out attacks in Pakistan. However, the Taliban has denied Islamabad’s allegations.
The Taliban and TTT share, among other things, ideological, operational, and personal alignment. A recent report shows that the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 has significantly strengthened and emboldened the TTP, as the group continues to target Pakistani security forces across the country.
However, Sanaullah in an interview with VOA Urdu revealed that the Taliban approached Islamabad two months ago with a proposal to relocate members of TTP from the border regions of Durand to the other parts of Afghanistan.
This proposal, according to Sanaullah, could limit TTP access to border areas shared by Afghanistan and Pakistan.
However, Taliban officials have not yet commented on this.
In February, the Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune reported that the Taliban has offered Islamabad a proposal to disarm and dismantle the TTP under the condition that the Pakistani government funds the proposal.
According to the newspaper, there are between 8,000 to 12,000 TTP fighters in Afghanistan and the number could rise to 30,000 if their family members are included.
