WASHINGTON: The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) wants to establish Sharia in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by conducting a campaign of terrorism against the state and military, reported and warned by the U.S. Department.
To train and place its militants, the TTP makes use of the tribal region along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the report Country reports on terrorism 2021 says.
TTP receives doctrinal direction from Al Qaeda, and some Al Qaeda members use TTP as a sanctuary in the Pashtun regions near the Afghan-Pakistan border. Through this composition, TTP has gained access to Al Qaeda's international terrorist network.
A State Department's report regrets not dismantling India-focused extremist groups but notes the efforts done against them.
The report mentioned the names of terrorist groups that aimed at organizing attacks in Pakistan which include the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and the Islamic State-Khorasan group (IS-K).
According to the report, Pakistan experienced significant terrorist activity in 2021. Considering the link between low economic activities and terrorism, the report focused on the support and assistance provided by the United States in economic growth and trade in Pakistan.
The assistance provided by the U.S. includes a partnership with civil society, businesses in the US, and bordering regions of Afghanistan. The report explains that the assistance is given to improve Pakistani people's living and further U.S. ambitions. The U.S. still fosters people-to-people exchanges to reduce the obstacles and misunderstandings in bilateral relationships.
Separatist militant organizations carried out several terrorist attacks in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh in 2021 against a variety of targets. Attacks on various targets by terrorists have included the deployment of improvised explosive devices, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers, and targeted killings.
The report admits that Pakistan countered the financing of terrorism to curb some militant groups which were focused on India. Pakistan evaluated and updated its National Action Plan (NAP) for 2015 to combat terrorism, minimizing the plan's 20 elements to only 14.
Yet, the paper criticizes the fact that Pakistan achieved only modest progress on the most challenging issues, including its commitment to swiftly and impartially destroy all terrorist organizations.
According to the report, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Afghan Taliban, and former TTP members make up the majority of the IS-K, another organization that poses a serious threat to Pakistan. It is thought to have between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters and admitted to attacking Pakistani civilians and government employees.
The report also emphasizes Washington's collaboration with Islamabad on regional security and counterterrorism, noting that the US government offers Pakistan both substantial assistance with law enforcement, drug enforcement, and establishing the rule of law, as well as limited assistance with defense, counterterrorism, and anti-money laundering.
Picture Courtesy: The Diplomat
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