The National Resistance Council for Salvation of Afghanistan, now in exile, has in a Persian statement on Saturday warned that the Taliban’s “strategic deal” with Pakistan to reallocate members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or the Pakistani Taliban, in the northern regions of Afghanistan, will have “fatal” consequences.
The Council, comprised of former politicians and pollical leaders, has stated that this decision of the Taliban will destabilize the north as it will provide sanctuaries for the TTP fighters and depopulate the local residents in the northern cities.
The statement asserts that the reallocation of TTP in the north will escalate tensions and will contribute to more “bloodshed” if properties, homes, and lands of native people in the north and northeastern cities are jeopardized.
“The Taliban intends to reallocate the TTP fighters from the other side of the Durand Line under the pretext of new immigrants,” part of the statement reads.
“In reality, this is a vicious plan to turn the north into safe havens of the TTP and alter the demographics of the region… by confiscating ancestral lands and homes of the local residents. It will have fatal consequences.”
The statement comes following the recent announcement of the Taliban to move thousands of TTP members from the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, amid cross-border tension between both sides.
The TTP presence in Afghanistan remains strong as the group uses this opportunity to plan and coordinate its lethal attacks against Pakistani security forces across Pakistan and Islamabad, for that reason, has been pressing Kabul to crack down on TTP.
The National Resistance Council for Salvation of Afghanistan has emphasized that the if Taliban’s reallocation plan of TTP members remains unabated, it will provide a breeding ground for promoting terrorism to the region and the world.
“Failure to oppose and revert the Taliban plan will escalate into the group’s proxy wars and export terrorism from Afghanistan soil to the neighboring counties, the region, and the world.” The statement concludes.
