The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has increased its attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the goal of overthrowing the provincial government and imposing Sharia, a US Department Report warns.
According to the 2021 Country Reports on Terrorism by the US State Department, the outlawed TTP operatives use the porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the tribal belt on both sides as a safe haven for their training and deployment.
Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence of terrorism this year. Earlier, a blast in Peshawar mosque inside a police compound claimed the lives of more than 60 people. The TTP claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest blasts in the city. Last month a police station in Peshawar was also targeted, resulting in three deaths. Meanwhile, the day after the deadly Peshawar attack, Punjab police thwarted an attack on a police station in Mianwali.
On February 17th, three militants from the banned TTP stormed into Karachi police headquarters, leading to an hour-long operation. During the operation, three militants were killed while two policemen, one Rangers official, and a civilian embraced martyrdom.
The US State Department report also stated that the TTP has ideological links with Al Qaeda and both terrorist outfits depend on each other for information and members’ operational expertise.
The report also pointed out that a number of attacks in Pakistan in 2021 were also carried out by separatist groups, like Balochistan Liberation Army.
The report also pointed out that Pakistan serves as safe haven for militant groups that carry out attacks in other countries, while simultaneously acknowledging Pakistan’s effort to curtail this practice.
