The Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad have reportedly agreed to an “unannounced ceasefire” during Pakistan’s general election, with intervention from the Taliban in Afghanistan, particularly the Haqqani Network.
According to reports from the Pakistani media outlet The Express Tribune, both sides have agreed to a ceasefire until the upcoming general election in the country, set for February 8.
The media outlet further stated that there have been at least 27 terrorist attacks in Pakistan, mainly in its Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in the first month of 2024. However, none of these attacks has been claimed by the TTP.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan has been actively seeking various approaches to engage in dialogue with the TTP, including involving religious scholars, tribal leader, and the regime in Kabul. According to reports, during the tenure of the former prime minister, Imran Khan, the country has also offered rehabilitation to the militant group’s fighters and their families, if, according to the terms, they agree to accept the country’s constitution and abandon its military structure.
However, Pakistan’s efforts to persuade the TTP have been to no avail; the militant outfit has not only intensified attacks on security forces but also appears to have expanded its organizational structure across the country.
Although the militant group agreed to a ceasefire with the Pakistani government in June 2022, mediated by the Taliban in Afghanistan, it ended the ceasefire in November of the same year, asserting that it had been attacked by Pakistani security forces. Since then, the group and its affiliate, Tahreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), have escalated their attacks primarily against Pakistani security forces in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces.
Despite the concern regarding security challenges and the potential for increased violence during the election, the country’s election commission, after its meeting with security officials, emphasized on Thursday that it would proceed with the scheduled date, which is the upcoming Thursday, February 8.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Senate passed a non-binding resolution calling for a delay in the elections due to security reasons.
At least two election candidates, Rehab Zeb Khan (an independent candidate associated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan) and Malik Kaleem Ullah (an independent candidate for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly), were shot dead during their campaign in a border area with Afghanistan last month. The first incident was claimed by the Islamic State affiliate in the region (IS-KP).
Moreover, separatist Baloch militants, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), launched a large-scale coordinated attack during a rally in a town in Balochistan on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people.
The U.S. State Department had earlier expressed concern about the violence, which it said could undermine the electoral process. “Pakistani people have the right to choose their leader without fear for the country’s stability and prosperity,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
In addition to the security issues surrounding Pakistan’s upcoming general election, there are concerns regarding the credibility and fairness of the electoral process and the potential for military intervention. The country has a historical precedent of military involvement in elections, further fueling these concerns.
Last month, Pakistan’s independent human rights commission said that there is little chance of free and fair parliamentary elections in the country because of “pre-poll rigging.” The watchdog also expressed concern about authorities rejecting the candidacies of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and most other members of his party. Imran Khan, who is now in jail with recent sentences of 10 and 14 years for leaking secret documents and corruption, has also warned that a lack of fairness in conducting the election could lead to further “instability and uncertainty.” His party is currently facing a severe crackdown by the military.
