Armed anti-Taliban group, the National Resistance Front (NRF), has claimed that the Taliban is actively seeking to relocate members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to northern Afghanistan.
The Head of NRF Foreign Relations, Ali Maisam Nazary, wrote in a tweet on Wednesday: “Alarming reports indicate the Taliban terrorist group plans to establish settlements for TTP terrorists from Pakistan in Northern Afghanistan.”
“This move will accelerate their downfall, while simultaneously escalating security issues and igniting social and political instability both in Afghanistan and the wider region,” Nazary added.
The Head of NRF Foreign Relations emphasized that the citizens of Afghanistan would vehemently reject any attempts by foreign terrorists to encroach on their land, undermine their identity, dignity, and freedom, or impose terrorism and extremism upon them.
“It is crucial to note that we live in 2023 and that our society and its realities have evolved far beyond those of 1923. We will resist any attempts to push us back to darker times.” He added
The issue of settling Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan members within Afghanistan has been raised by Pakistani authorities in recent days.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana 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.
According to The Express Tribune, 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.
So far, officials and spokespersons from the Taliban in Afghanistan have refrained from responding to these developments.
